I had an online conversation with a college student who was part of a church I used to serve in. funny, I seem to be in touch with more and more students who i had the priveledge to minister to recently. the conversation, sadly enough, has become like a scratch on a CD...playing the same part over and over again.
the words "conned, disalusioned, weary, game playing" were used while describing how they felt after a life of church attendance. mind you, we are not talking about students who were scarce in their attendance. we are talking about good, solid, faithful young people who bought into the reality they were being taught.
the reality is this..."is this it?" "you mean to tell me that after all this, this is what I have to look forward to?"
we lose 88% of all church going High School Students when they graduate and go off to college. why?
we have told them that the entireity of their faith consists of their actions. and these actions are merely there to please those who are like them...the church culture.
we have failed to teach them to think. expand their minds. lose the box and be free.
we have failed to give them examples of jesus followers who actually infiltrate the culture. rather, what they see is a building full of like minded people who are afraid to be different. a group of individuals who actually believe that the church exists for the members rather than the truth that it exists for the non members.
not true?
allow me to demonstrate...
members decide on style. both music and preaching. jesus is rarely consulted or asked about such things. these are matters of prefference. after all, if the king james was good enough for paul, it is good enough for me.
members decide on atmosphere. most guests are not actually engaged, but given the old "hi, how are you?"
members decide on programs. most are decided on based on what will bring in the most members so they can give money. after all, we are slaves to a morgage. think not? look at the financials. especially after the insurance will quadruple this year...especially in FL.
true outside the door ministry is foriegn to most members. rather, we are groups of sponges who are so full of teaching with no outlet, we stink up the joint. 92% of christians NEVER share their faith.
funny thing is, even though I have said these things many times, these are thoughts from college students in different parts of the state of Florida. all faithful while they were in High School, but are not as interested in maintaining the passionless attitudes they see in us and them selves.
a failure to teach our children, from the earliest age, to think...actually think about the wonder that is God has led to a mass exodus from the ranks of those who are not their own and exist to proclaim the glory of another. sadly, we have turned the thought process that is supposed to be filled with expectancy and passion for jesus, into a love fest for individual wants and desire.
we have failed them in teaching them they are the PEOPLE of God. rather, the American dream to get and accomplish and build up treasures for ourselves has taken center stage. get all we can while we can. why? so we can tear down our barns and build bigger ones...just to hold all the stuff we want.
never has the task of teaching been more important. turning a movement that cost great men of faith their lives into a no sex, no drinking, no cussing activity has turned something beautiful into something less than.
the sacred romance between our God and his children needs to be rekindled. we have played the whore long enough.
do we really believe that jesus died just so we can be happy? or sucessful? or wealthy? or wise?
can the reality of investing our life in his kingdom be such a foriegn thought to us?
does the radical thought that the church belongs to jesus actually mean anything?
can mere self gratification of those who sit and watch the game from the sideline be the point?
do we really expect those who give the most money decide what happens in our houses of worship?
can we actually change what was thought to be a word from God simply becasue a couple of the long time members don't like it?
is all we are about is no gay marriage?
is our rallying cry the abortion debate?
do we actually believe our country would be a better place if we put the 10 commandments up in public places? they were up for years.
sadly...yes. yes we do.
don't think so? look with a critical (unbiased) eye at the entirety of our american christian faith. if we could teach our kids to question everything with an honest desire to understand, we would be forced to be different. students today fail to accept "just becasue it is the way things are" answers. we do, cause we are lazy.
"some folks are not going to the mission field becasue they feel like they are not called. we don't need a call, we need a kick in the pants." jim elliot 1948
real thoughts from real conversations. true or not? you decide. but if we don't have the satchel to deal with the exodus...then God help us.
And the men who hold high places
Must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality
Closer to the heart Closer to the heart
The blacksmith and the artist
Reflect it in their art
They forge their creativity
Closer to the heart
Yes, closer to the heart
Philosophers and ploughmen
Each must know his part
To sow a new mentality
Closer to the heart
Yes, closer to the heart, yeah
You can be the Captain
And I will draw the chart
Sailing into destiny
Closer to the Heart
Closer to the Heart
Well, closer to the Heart, yeah
RUSH
7 comments:
I'd like to offer a quick suggestion that may help. I'm not doing this to point fingers, but to say that your overgeneralizations do nothing constructive in your life or your ministry. I'd like to rewrite what you wrote, and you can let me know what you think.
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I had an online conversation with a college student who was part of a church I used to serve in. funny, I seem to be in touch with more and more students who i had the priveledge to minister to recently. the conversation, sadly enough, has become like a scratch on a CD...playing the same part over and over again.
the words "conned, disalusioned, weary, game playing" were used while describing how they felt after a life of church attendance. mind you, I am not talking about students who were scarce in their attendance. I am talking about good, solid, faithful young people who bought into the reality they were being taught.
the reality is this..."is this it?" "you mean to tell me that after all this, this is what I have to look forward to?"
I have lost 88% of all church going High School Students when they graduate and go off to college. why?
I have told them that the entireity of their faith consists of their actions. and these actions are merely there to please those who are like them...the church culture.
I have failed to teach them to think. expand their minds. lose the box and be free.
I have failed to give them examples of jesus followers who actually infiltrate the culture. rather, what they see in many churches is a building full of like minded people who are afraid to be different; a group of individuals who actually believe that the church exists for the members rather than the truth that it exists for the non members.
not true?
allow me to demonstrate...
In many churches members decide on style. both music and preaching. jesus is rarely consulted or asked about such things. these are matters of prefference. after all, if the king james was good enough for paul, it is good enough for me.
In many churches members decide on atmosphere. most guests are not actually engaged, but given the old "hi, how are you?"
members decide on programs. most are decided on based on what will bring in the most members so they can give money. after all, I am slaves to a morgage. think not? look at the financials. especially after the insurance will quadruple this year...especially in FL.
In many churches true outside the door ministry is foriegn to most members. rather, in my church are groups of sponges who are so full of teaching with no outlet, our members stink up the joint. 92% of christians NEVER share their faith.
funny thing is, even though I have said these things many times, I have heard these thoughts from college students in different parts of the state of Florida. all faithful while they were in High School, but are not as interested in maintaining the passionless attitudes they see in us and them selves.
a failure to teach my children, from the earliest age, to think...actually think about the wonder that is God has led to a mass exodus from the ranks of those who are not their own and exist to proclaim the glory of another. sadly, I have turned the thought process that is supposed to be filled with expectancy and passion for jesus, into a love fest for individual wants and desire.
I have failed them in teaching them they are the PEOPLE of God. rather, the American dream to get and accomplish and build up treasures for ourselves has taken center stage. get all we can while we can. why? so we can tear down our barns and build bigger ones...just to hold all the stuff we want.
never has the task of teaching been more important. turning a movement that cost great men of faith their lives into a no sex, no drinking, no cussing activity has turned something beautiful into something less than.
the sacred romance between our God and his children needs to be rekindled. Many churches have played the whore long enough.
do I really believe that jesus died just so we can be happy? or sucessful? or wealthy? or wise?
can the reality of investing our life in his kingdom be such a foriegn thought to us?
does the radical thought that the church belongs to jesus actually mean anything?
can mere self gratification of those who sit and watch the game from the sideline be the point?
do I really expect those who give the most money decide what happens in our houses of worship?
can I actually change what was thought to be a word from God simply becasue a couple of the long time members don't like it?
is all I am about is no gay marriage?
is our rallying cry the abortion debate?
do I actually believe our country would be a better place if we put the 10 commandments up in public places? they were up for years.
sadly...yes. yes I do.
----------------
You see, Jeff, your indignation would be a whole lot more on the mark if you asked yourself these questions openly first. You cannot brush all churches and all students with the same pessimistic pen. There are many churches and many people who aren't doing those things.
The church is much greater than your failures or my failures or anyone else's. Perhaps if you focused more on encouragement instead of pointing a crooked finger at its problems, then your perspective would change. If we find the good in others and encourage that, then they will be muchmore likely to make continual change than if we berate them. It's common human nature. It's how God created humanity.
Just some thoughts, not to sound mean, lest I be accused of not seeing my own log, but your post really sounded, well, wrong.
what I think adam, is that you wait in the wings for something to be said so you, can point out how wrong I am.
why don't you offer sonmthing original, so as to be open for anonoymous comments that are pointless and add nothing to the thought.
as YOU have mentioned in the past when you stop by to complain about MY thoughts, maybe YOU ought to look in the mirror. after all, all we need is love right?
yea. that may be all we need. but when YOU give ME an answer to WHY 88% of ALL college students leave ALL churches, then maybe you will have added to the conversation. and remind me why 92% of ALL believers do not share their faith...then you can add to the dialogue. not that way in your church adam? why have I not heard of the great revival happening in central FL?
but to wait and swoop in when YOU do not agree with these words?
maybe you should take this up with George Barna.
but YOU probably think HE is wrong as well.
I am glad you come by though. YOU help me make my point. YOU and so many more like YOU fail to look inside, but look at others and whine when YOU are offended that YOU may have missed the point.
do we know eah other? cause you sound alot like some one I knew in Ocala. they told me all i neded to do was love their kids. it was funny though, they did not love me. I guess that is ok though. after all, as a minister, I should not expect from those i minister to what they expect from me.
and by the way...I would appreciate it if you would leave my thoughts as they are.
let me know when you are able to put your thoughts out there though. it would be fun to rewrite what you have on YOUR heart..
untill then...I love you adam. as I am so sure you love me. not really. it is hard for me to love someone who sits on the sidelines and offers words with no actions. but jesus does. after I read this later, I am sure i will repent and love you. but not now. I want to wallow in the sarcasm.
hows that for honesty?
thank God that when he sent some one to prepare the way for jesus, he sent a guy that was not afraid to speak the truth.
but I am sure, all i need is love.
that has to be it. we , sorry, I should not desire to be honest with our current state of things right? we, sorry, I, should not be freaked out when another country sends missionaries here. we, sorry, I, should not at all be concerned that christians are the most likely to convert to Jehovahs witness or to the Mormon Church. we, sorry, i, should not at all be concerned that Islam is the breeding ground for insencere christians becasue they are scared.
we, sorry, I, should not point out that all we, sorry, I am concerned with is joel osteen and his sucess gospel and not repentance. we should, sorry, I, should not be at all concerned that the american church is so different from the early church that followed Jesus that fewer and fewer are willing to sacrifice it all and go where we ought to share.
after all adam. things things are not as important as a warm giddly feeling every sunday.
love actually means having the willingness to confront. to be honest. but that is probably not what you mean.
wow. thanks for clearing that up.
I feel much better now.
I was right.
sorry bro. little carried away sometimes.
but you probably know that.
yes...I do love you.
Good word, Jeff... I think it is a great follow up to a point you made in your last post that one line catch phrases do not suffice answers to the world's problems (in so many words)... I have seen much of the lunch-box gospel and awful, awful catch phrases that are posted in front of MANY churches and am saddened... Quick "this is how you should live and add a little Jesus on the side if you get the chance" messages with a follow-up of pizza and coke are NOT what the youth need... To show and teach and model what being satisfied in God means is what they need...
And I am always humbled and amazed at the grace, humility, and patience you show to those who would speak such ignorant or rude words against you and your zealous, real, passionate, living faith...
Just wanted to thank you for this.....keep writing and challenging.....our thoughts our hearts.....
am's had been tellin' me what a great post this is & you know what...
she was right for once...
glad to see that you haven't stopped being a shit magnet...
i would call it a gift...
Hey,
I really enjoy your blog! Thanks for your honest heart and truthfulness, it is refreshing to hear someone be real. Its cool to read about real people who serve Jesus.
I am a musician, and I would be honored if you would check out my music. All music on my site is free for download. Anyway, don’t want to be a pest, I just thought that I’d share.
Thanks,
-Sean
_____________________
www.SeanDietrich.com
“All my music is free.”
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