good news...confession

08/03/08

i wrote this in church one day because i was bored and frustrated... mostly with myself....

spaces of empty seats everywhere surround and interrupt community.
everyone in their finest clothes- where are the homeless, the blind, the broken, the poor, the lame, the adulterous, the thieves... here are the lonely rich.
the lovely rich christians of America. where and how are needs being met in this so-called community of Christ? where is the outreach to the lost neighbors, the lost nations? did my outfit cost me more than feeding a child for months or building a well in Africa? why do we stare at a person on stage? why can't i see the battles of sin? where's the imagination of losing myself in Christ and worshiping Christ? why did the children have to leave? Did Jesus have the children leave? Have I shown love to these people amongst empty spaces and chairs? how much did those fancy lights cost for the stage? or that illuminated cross behind that man on stage?

how good is the good news if i sit with you in this room with closed doors?
i drive myself crazy in this seat because i am one of the ones sitting here. i am one of the ones who spent more money on my outfit than my neighbors need for food or water. i am one of the ones who is entertained by the lighting, music, projectors, stage, microphones, illuminated cross. Have I become a follower of the american church and not of Christ? am i a result of being a convert in America? have i begun to follow those who appear to know what they're doing and not God's very word? have we all become followers of the americanized church and not of Jesus Christ and the Word of God? If the good news is SO GOOD- why am i sitting in a room of proclaimed believers (myself included) with the doors shut...?