This thing we call church...

Do you ever get totally fed up with this thing we call church?  There's a longing so strong and so deep inside me to be in a church that is all about the King!  i know people try and most have the best of intentions, but we fall so drastically short of what I think church is supposed to be about.  but...who am i to say what it's supposed to be?  


maybe it's just that i want a version of church that fits my wants, needs, and preferences.  regardless of the styles of worship, the length of the service, the attire, and all that superficial crap, i just want to be real where ever i go...you know, have real problems and real questions and issues without feeling like i'm the freak that "doesn't have a 'real' relationship with God".  if my relationship with Jesus is not real then i have no ideal what a real relationship is.  i know that in most relationships i'm in...i screw things up...ALOT!  but, that doesn't make that relationship less real or meaningless.  


why does this burn inside my heart so much even as i write this?  i know why, cause my soul is crying out for Jesus in a way that only He can satisfy.  no program, fancy stage set, or seamless production can ever quench that desire; only real communion with a real God and real followers of God who are willing to put away religious pious attitudes and start actually "caring about people" because they are people and not just a number to add to their bulletin board or impress with their "relevant" marketing.  By the way, don't we have enough marketing thrown in our face.  Jesus said, "Lift me up and i will draw all people to me".  what part of that do we forget, or do we just think it's not totally true and that God needs our help in marketing what he did on the cross!  Don't get me wrong, i have nothing wrong with finding ways to make church look enticing for non believers,  but too often, once the novelty of the coolness wears off...there's nothing but empty words and false compassion ready to look down on you as soon as you don't look like what they expect you to look like.


i know i'm ranting here and i know this will probably make some people mad and ruffle a few feathers, but so be it.  I love the church and i love the God that it points to...when it's actually doing that.  you see, i'm totally between a rock and a hard place.  i love to sing songs about and praises to my God, but sometimes i detest the place in which i have to go to do it.  there are so many guidelines and certain unwritten laws that i know i have to conform to when i enter these places.  it's not that i'm some sinner bound from hell wrapped in some facade...but i just feel that if i ever really shared about my struggles or problems i would be looked at as the weirdo that needs to "get his life right" when in fact everyone there would be in the same boat if the truth be told.  that's what we have to get back to, a church (body of believers) who trust, love, care, and support one another through ANYTHING!  that would be the best marketing tool anyone could ever conceive.  that would be living out our faith and not just talking about what it does and doesn't mean to be in love with Jesus Christ.  


having said all this, i know i present problems with no solutions and that i'm just as much of the problem as anyone else in the hypocritical thing called church.  But after all isn't that the point, that we can be hypocrites and still be the church of the one true God...i mean we are human and we don't have it all together all the time or most of the time for that matter.  but, there truly is an answer, and at the risk of sounding completely cliche, the answer is Jesus Christ the Son of God.  if we just keep our focus on Him and Him alone and lift Him up and these other things will work themselves out.  however, i can promise you it won't be easy or painless.  in this situation, the end doesn't justify the means...it's all about the means


Be a blessing,
shane 

Post Numero Uno

Hi everyone,
thanks for taking time out of your crazy life to read about mine for a few minutes. i decided to start a blog cause i'm getting really tired of trying to saying anything of substance in 140 characters!  Which is now kind of odd, considering that i have not, and will not, say anything of any real substance in this post.  However, i will say, please forgive me for any screw ups or improper "blog etiquette", I'M NEW AT THIS OK :)


anyway, i guess that will suffice in saying "hi" and "i have a new blogspot", so stay tuned for some really profound blogs...that means "to ramble" right?..what? really?  what?...


peace,
shane