On the Church's faults

"Being inside the church we are probably as well aware of her faults as any person on the outside could possibly be. And we believe in her nevertheless wherever she manifests herself in a world of darkness and unbelief." -A.W. Tozer I have been thinking on the reality I don't really need to have people on the outside tell me about the faults with the church. I go there, ya know? I am on the inside. I know her faults more than you could even imagine.

Here's the difference. I believe in her. I love her, and while I know and am frustrated with her faults, I also see her going into dark and broken places. While each congregation has their ongoing faults to deal with as a community, it is all worth enduring as long as the Body of Christ continues to advance in to dark places of the world.

We need to deal with the weaknesses and the faults along the way, but don't give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing.

Swatting at Doves

We most often are moving and going so frantically that God’s peace and blessing cannot land upon us.

If God’s peace descends like a dove, I am all but swatting it away with my hectic grasping after success as defined by the American Church Dream.

My priority is to be concentrated on Abba. His closeness is my ultimate good, and not my success as is demanded of me. I spend too much of my heart, mind, energy, and time comparing myself to others.

Abba, I need you. I need you to be close to my heart and mind. I need your peace if I can just sit still long enough that it might descend upon me.

Random Reflections: Wednesday

If your plate is full, get rid of some of the things you do no need to eat.

Set time aside for God, and when you do, do not let anything interrupt it. Create time for God.

We love to hear God but hate to obey and do what we love to hear. Good intentions don’t always turn into actions. Sometimes we can even spiritualize our disobedience. Sometimes we even pray about it because we do not want to do it.

We have too many options and choices and we get frustrated when there aren’t as many options. This is why we come to church on our terms and not on God’s terms.

The National Day of Prayer is like: you come running in, punch the devil in the face and then run back out; leaving him 364 days to do as he pleases.

I lack desperate prayer. God hears desperate prayers. My American dream knows nothing of desperation. I cannot be desperate as an American. I far too often pray with dry eyes.

The deal Moses denied, America accepted. (God stays behind, but he gives us security, prosperity, and protection) But this is no good. We have say with Moses, "GOD, UNLESS YOU GO WITH US, NO DEAL." Unless you clothe us, we are naked…Unless you feed us, we are hungry…Unless you refresh us, we are always thirsty for more.

Are The Youngsters Killing the Church?

"Hypocrisy is really curious. A lot of younger evangelicals are massively into debt, lots of toys, living at a lifestyle beyond their means, and then saying, 'I don't trust the church with my money.'"

When interviewed in Neue Magazine, this was Pastor Mark Driscoll's response to the question:

"Do you think it's that younger generations are less generous, or is it that they don't trust the Church  as much with their money?"

Now off the bat, it is important to clarify I am NOT a Mark Driscoll freak. In fact, in the past I have resisted Driscoll as I would fall pretty well in line theologically with him, but I agree that any theology which makes you a jerk is not a good theology.

But the interview in Neue and specifically this discussion has me very intrigued and in agreement with Pastor Mark. This question and his response was within an overarching discussion about the reality many of the older generations upon which the financial support of the American Church has been built are going to die off, and there is reason for concern to whether the mainline Church is going to survive the lack of generosity, giving, and tithing of the younger generation.

This has really had me thinking A LOT lately, and I wonder WHAT SAY YOU?