3 june
I am imperfect in the eyes of many
but I am a perfect part of the whole
in the eyes of God.
~
I am not a church-goer
not a believer in organized religion
I have been to many, many churches
and have not one friend to call my own out of any of them.
not one friend who wondered where I might have gone when I left.
I am a great sinner in the eyes of many
having been divorced twice and now living with a man
whom I have been best friends with since we were eleven.
I have learned from two separate reports that the number of people who identify
themselves as Christians, or with a particular church is one of the fastest shrinking
populations in the country. Christians have a terrible reputation for being judgemental
and that is because they are judgmental.
Some churches say you must jump in a river, some say you must have blessed water
dribbled over your head when you are just a tiny baby....on and on and on
with what you can do or what you should do
what you can't do and what you shouldn't do....
it's enough
How many times are we told to love one another
and yet we squabble, and judge, and persecute, and picket,
and decide who gets into heaven and who doesn't
we even think we know what God will say to us when we get there
we tally up our good deeds like notches on a belt
This is what I hear Jesus saying
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
and this
These things I command you, that ye love one another.
that one command
that we love one another
is enough
Great post!Totally agree!AriadnefromGreece!
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by my place. I understand your predicament with Christianity and Scripture. I also had it when I came back to faith as an adult.
ReplyDeleteMay I offer some words of wisdom here and speak some truth in love? I think, in the simplest terms, the church denominations are like mini cultures, each having their own 'understandings' based on The Bible. All Christian religions (that I know of) include a baptism into following Christ. Jesus wasn't about religion, He was about people. Man made religion. God made the laws and Jesus came to fulfill those laws...man has interpreted them, hence all the different varieties. This in no way changes scripture.
The Church (all of us are the church body of Christ) will always have problems because we are a flawed people. Until Jesus comes back, we will continue to make a mess of things. But He calls us to live in community and to spread His Word. That was His directive to us. You are correct, his greatest commandment is to Love the Lord with all your might and to love your neighbor as yourself. But, sister in Christ, never forget, whenever Jesus healed someone, He always asked them #1. What they wanted from Him (He made them ask for what they wanted so they would have faith in Him), and #2. He said leave your sinful life and follow me when He encountered someone living in sin (woman at the well). He also talks about the unrepentant towns He performed miracles in (Matthew 11:20).
We all struggle with sin, it is human nature. As we follow Christ and allow the Holy Spirit to direct our walk, we yield to His power in our life instead of our will. That's what living in The Spirit means. Would love to talk to you about this more if you have questions.
If you are encountering a church that appears to not have sin, keep looking. You will find one where you are accepted. God's blessing to you.
thank you for your kind words Kim. I have no plans to enter any churches. When I do go, which is very infrequently, I go to a Unitarian Universalist church in my area. I almost didn't post this as I expected negative responses. I am more convinced now that I will receive no responses...which, I suppose, will solidify what I have said.
DeleteI too, agree wholeheartedly with your belief here. We celebrate the truth and love within the walls of our own house, privately and with much brotherhood for others as well. Our nation's flag our bible in hand as from my childhood, and our hearts, kindness and behavior, so much the better we are for it. We live in peace and love and I have found less judgement away from the many churches we have tried as well. Those days of attending and belonging to a church are behind me now.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to places where you struggle with church. And I don't have the answer other than Jesus. I worry though that I have rejected church (the body) because of the flaws in church (the institution). Trying to find my way to a place of love and grace for me and the church is a windy road. Writing about it helps though :)
ReplyDeleteBeautifully said. I can relate to not requiring an organized religion to love and serve God. They've never worked for me. In the Catholic church the priests let me down on several occasions. When I went to a Protestant church the Pastors there, followed suit. Only God has never let me down and I can worship Him anywhere.
ReplyDeleteOh, so sad, and so true. I have not been a member of a church since I was twenty years old. I was raised in a religious family and I did not witness there very much love at all. When a religious organization focuses on anything other than love, there will be judgment, jealousy, competition and self righteousness within its members. Spirituality was never meant to be "organized" but a fluid energy that flows through us and through love to others. While I do believe that there are good and loving people who belong to a church, the organization as a whole is flawed because instead of being a place where earthly spirits can gather and love each other, it has become a place where god is elevated to a status that is beyond our reach, and the focus is on the "elimination of sin" instead of the cultivation of love.
ReplyDelete