Being Relevant v. Being Good

I posted this on Facebook this morning. It is something I think the Lord wanted me to share here as well.

In the last several months, not just since Rob and I have separated, I have been asking God what true, authentic Christianity looks like, not the middle-class stuff with the cushy pews, perfected worship music, ideal sound systems, and polished sermons. What does true, change the world Christianity look like? I don't have all the answers, but in the last six months, I've had a good chance to see some of what it is...and a lot of what it isn't. Here is some of what I have found.

Truth is, even before Rob and I separated, I prayed for God to show me His view of the church, what it is and what He wants it to be. I have to say, my experience with the church during the last six months has left me sad and sick. That is NOT to say all CHRISTIANS have left me sad and sick. On the contrary, I have found deep love and grace in many Christians. I have also found that a lot of Christians have great hearts but little training for dealing with these kinds of situations. I get it. Before this, I did, too. I really hate hands-on training at times.

So instead of being angry--okay, instead of staying angry and hurt, I am asking the Lord what to do with this knew insight. And I keep asking a simple question, "How do I make Jesus relevant to a hurting world?"

I won't say I have all the answers, but this is what I know: a lot of people have taken a lot of time to email me or interogate me (maybe they didn't mean it that way, but it felt that way) about Rob's "selfishness" and "stupidity" and my "lack of faith" and "struggling because I'm not at church every Sunday" or in this group or that group. ONE person has made effort to contact Rob and reach out to him. ONE. In the Bible, I see Jesus slamming self-righteous Pharisees who act all pissy about folks not doing their temple-oriented duties, but I never see Him slam the hurting or broken. Instead, I see Him reaching out, connecting, seeking the lost.

I'VE SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE SLAM ROB BUT ONLY ONE PERSON SEEK HIM.

I don't want to be a religious adherent who reads my Bible daily, spends an hour in prayer every morning, and warms a pew every week with my self-righteous butt but is too busy going to church and doing my duty to reach into a hurting broken world.

Cause I'm thinking if a person whose "Christianity" is nothing more than a list of 10 rules, a lot of talk about how I need Jesus or am going to hell, and parking their car in a church parking lot an hour or two a week doesn't impress me even though I believe in Jesus and know the difference He makes, what good will it do for a world that doesn't know Him and thinks He irrelevant.