(Source: cuntable)

cassidycollins:

Stop Praying - Francis Chan

I’m so glad I found this video, I watched it years ago, and it still affects the way I pray and think about prayer to this very day. This is a man who knows what he’s talking about.

This article originally appeared in RELEVANT.

I’ve played music in churches and bars all my life. In many ways, these two gatherings are very similar. Both sets of “regulars” are looking for meaning, carrying out a ritual of sorts—hoping to find purpose, something that makes sense of the pain.

At first glance, it might seem the Church is a better place to look for hope than the bottom of a bottle. Every day, alcoholism and drug abuse destroy families, ruin careers and wreck communities. On the other hand, theological beliefs and misunderstandings have been blamed for divisions, divorces and wars around the world. The trouble with each institution lies within us. True, alcohol feeds a different fire than pietism, but neither a drunk nor a hypocrite look very good in the daylight.

We carry our problems into the church the same way we carry them into a bar—they just react differently in each location. Unfortunately, the sins that exist within the walls of the Church are harder to spot.

Pride, for example, can hide incredibly well in the religious community. I rarely hear the words “I don’t know” uttered at church. And yet the triune Creator of time and space will always be wrapped in mystery and holiness. Why not start in the seat of humility? Surely all of us have gotten a few things wrong in our attempts at Christianity.

Isn’t it pride that causes divisions among us? When we begin to slander other believers in the name of God, we know we’ve gotten off course. Did our Master’s words fall on deaf ears? “Love each other as I have loved you.” “Let them be one, Father, even as we are one.” These are not optional thoughts on how things could be done, but rather prerequisites for entrance into Kingdom of Heaven life. Unity is serious business. The Church is called to be one even as the triune God is one. The comprehensive salvation of our planet is built on the final unity of the Church and her God: the bride and her Savior.

Unfortunately, unity within the ecclesial community is the exception, not the rule. It’s to our shame many folks looking for hope find more grace at the local bar than the local church. When we speak with a fire and anger that burns differently than the fresh air of the cross, we do the Gospel a disservice. We know deep down something is wrong. So we revolt against those fiery speeches. We say the method needs to change. We call the old model irrelevant. And yes! The fresh winds of the Spirit are ready to blow upon us, let us pray for new tongues of the same eternal flame.

And yet if I speak with the tongues of angels and of men but have not love, it profits me nothing. If I rise up against the cheesy Christian T-shirts but have not love, it helps no one. If I hate the legalistic hatred but have not love, it builds nothing. Has the enemy tricked us into a new form of legalism? Is not our judgment committing the same offense? Ah, we may have found a way, but it is not love.

Walking the line between the clubs and the Church, I’ve been misunderstood by both sides. I’m sure you’ve felt the same thing: people throw rocks at the things they don’t understand. But it hurts worst when it comes from well-intending brothers and sisters, the folks who are purportedly filled with the love of Christ. Our knee-jerk response is to retaliate, to fight back. And the cycle begins again. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. God will take care of the speck in my neighbor’s eye. The more faith I have in Him and His strong voice, the less I have to yell. The more faith I have in Him, the freer my hands become to serve those around me.

Washing feet is not extra credit. We are called to bear each other’s burdens. Unity is a miraculous achievement, but it’s intended for this side of the grave. Unity is the transforming work of the power of the cross in our lives. In the dark, blood-stained shadow of the cross, our boasting is laughable. Our differences are minute. Take another look at the cross. Look at how much He loves you. Look at His surrender, His sacrifice. Unity comes into focus only when we realize the magnificent grace of the Savior.

Let us acknowledge our neediness, our beautiful desperation. Yes, our unanswerable, aching, longing poverty is a prerequisite for the balm of salvation. We, the people—the failures, the losers, the outsiders—we have found our King. Christ, the King of the fools; the Lord of the sick, broken souls like us. Let us remain in continual awe of the love we have been shown. And let us love! Let us celebrate the reckless love of the one who risked all that we might be loved. And let us follow in the path of a God who loves us. The tax collectors and the rabbis. The prostitutes and the Sadducees. In the bars and in the churches. Yes, God even loves Christians.

(Source: sketchmedesire)

caseykaui:

Isn’t It… Funny how a $20.00 bill looks so big when you take it to church, but so small when you take it to the mall. Funny how big an hour serving God looks and how small 60 minutes are when spent watching television, playing sports, sleeping or taking a lunch break. Funny how long a couple of…

(Source: carlisax33)

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth- 2…

(Source: pricechecks)

I have been in this incredibly weird mood lately, largely because my human interactions have been compressed to a minimum, so because of that I have been given a vast amount of time to think and to be quiet and with that has come a very large amount of questions. 

I don’t know how to answer most of them, but I am getting there. I suppose most of them aren’t really questions but me longing and yearning for something. ~something ~more I suppose but la la la I don’t know how to put that in to a real world situation or into words I can use. I know that God cant be compressed into “real word” and “words I can use” but what I am trying to figure out is how to work together God, my life, and his goal. I can make my spiritual life look good on paper but if its only on paper its not a spiritual life. Ga. I don’t know what im saying anymore. 

But this is how things have been.

The issue I have with mega churches is the constant need for upkeep. With the constant need of upkeep comes an incredible amount of flash and advertisement. I feel like sometimes God may eventually -and this does happen- get pushed to the wayside by the constant need of more. Not more God, just, more. Sunday mornings are a production not a service. I know that cliche has been used in any text every mentioning mega churches but you know what? Its super true. I miss simple services with simple people. Its honest and clean. Now, don’t get me wrong I do believe that mega churches can sometimes (and most times) give a greater opportunity for a stronger and more emotional connection with God. (Something about the four guitars and a hardcore guy playing the drums and a soulful singer can get me more in tune with God for worship than a hymnal and an organ) So yeah, mega churches are really nice. But what I am trying to say is that sometimes you need to take a step back and have some hymnals and old ladies and pastors who still wear suits and ties. It reminds you what you are there for. You are here for a beautiful simple honest God. Not a God who has a tattoo and a coffee shop and who has impressive sales figures and can be found on tv. We can loose God in that. 

We are here for a beautiful and simple honest God.