thoughts about jesus, travelogs, and anything else i can find swimming around in my head....
had lots of time lately to think. not sure that it is always a good thing - but some of what comes out can be. seems that for the most part i am a dreamer and while this may require a bit of thought with my head - mostly it consists of just feelings from my heart. but recently (well the last 11 months or so..) i have been thinking so much about the church. it has taken me quite awhile to come to love a church - but i am starting to. guess you can see this from a lot of my past entries too. i should just note that most of my experiences in this area have been in american southern baptist church - so you know where i am coming from in the sentences that follow. i have been wondering lately what church could be like. what it could be if people actually tried to live like christ and really follow his teachings. these are all just dreams and thoughts of mine - but i thought i would share with you. and if you have some too - i would love to hear them.
i dream of a church that loves people for how they come. one that loves people for who they are - not who they could be. a church that doesnt look down upon the ones who show up how they are - while those others try to put on a show for everyone else there.
i dream of a church who wants to be challenged. a place where people like being uncomfortable. a place that has no room for stale traditions and ceremonies that no longer mean anything. a place where people are allowed to think for themselves and are not told what to think. a place where it is all right to disagree with each other and still be brothers and sisters.
i dream of a church that has no room for intolerance. a place that is free from sermons on abortions and homosexuality and issues of intolerance to drive people away from christ. but a church that has enough boldness to teach the love of christ. a place that will no longer support the segregation of sunday mornings in america.
i dream of a church united, where denominations are meaningless. where in towns we worship together and dont fight. where children are not brought up to think every other house of worship is not wierd just because they may not worship or act exactly like you may.
i dream of a church where people dance. i dream of a church that cries, sings and laughs. one where the rocks need not cry out in real worship because the people refuse to do so. one where art it embraced and encouraged. one where the people are open to new things and changes and dont bitch and moan when they dont get their way.
i dream of a church that doesnt lie. one where the actual bible is taught - not one where we do things just because that is how they have always been done. one that doesnt make up rules for living for me. one that realises that christianity is not a morality code, but a way of life.
i dream of a house of prayer. one who cries out to god on behalf of the nations daily. one whos people realize that their brothers and sisters are worldwide and they need our help. one whos only prayers are for its own peoples prosperity. a church that can see that most of our nations "problems" are pretty small in comparison with millions of peoples hunger.
i dream of a church where the preacher dosnt make six figures and thinks that it is ok. where the people in our churches would not let this happen. a church that would take care of people who needed it. a church that sends out missionaries everyday into the world and into our communities.
i dream of a church whos people dont need to be preached at. who dont need to be spoon fed everything and told how to act. one whos people come because the want to - not out of obligation.
i dream of a church based on relationships. real feelings, real hurt, real happiness. one that wont pass out a tract so they dont have to spend time and get to know a persons needs and feelings. a church that takes care of people - no matter how great the cost.
i dream of a church that is not concerned about membership numbers and what the return is on the dollars we spend, but knows it is all kingdom work. and knows that the kingdom is here now.
i dream of a church where everyone is equal. where you do not have to be a deacon or an elder to serve communion. where everyone is treated with the same respect. a church where the people who give more money would not have more say in what happens. a church free of politics and all the shit that goes along with it.
i dream of a church that preaches environmentalism. a place that realises that the kingdom is here now - and we are stewards of this great earth. one who doesnt spend thousands of dollars printing and throwing things away every week.
i dream of a church that will help my friends want to know christ, not give them every reason in the world to run far far away. i dream of a place where christians dont see themselves as better than the world and my friends in this world. a place where we dont only socialize with ourselves.
i dream of a church who wont condemn. whos people will love and not talk about people when they are hurting, but instead love them as christ did.
i dream of a church that is in love with the poor. not by giving some money - but by opening their doors and hearts. by not looking at those different than us with a wild eye. a church who loves those that christ so loves.
i dream of a church not in love with capitalism and shackled to the american dream. i dream of a place that doesnt preach a prosperity gospel when there are millions who dont even know where their next meal will come from. i dream of a christian who puts gods dreams in front of their own.
these are some of my dreams. i want these things to change in me first and foremost - and it is hard. but i think these are some of the things christ would have wanted.
i dream of a church that loves people for how they come. one that loves people for who they are - not who they could be. a church that doesnt look down upon the ones who show up how they are - while those others try to put on a show for everyone else there.
i dream of a church who wants to be challenged. a place where people like being uncomfortable. a place that has no room for stale traditions and ceremonies that no longer mean anything. a place where people are allowed to think for themselves and are not told what to think. a place where it is all right to disagree with each other and still be brothers and sisters.
i dream of a church that has no room for intolerance. a place that is free from sermons on abortions and homosexuality and issues of intolerance to drive people away from christ. but a church that has enough boldness to teach the love of christ. a place that will no longer support the segregation of sunday mornings in america.
i dream of a church united, where denominations are meaningless. where in towns we worship together and dont fight. where children are not brought up to think every other house of worship is not wierd just because they may not worship or act exactly like you may.
i dream of a church where people dance. i dream of a church that cries, sings and laughs. one where the rocks need not cry out in real worship because the people refuse to do so. one where art it embraced and encouraged. one where the people are open to new things and changes and dont bitch and moan when they dont get their way.
i dream of a church that doesnt lie. one where the actual bible is taught - not one where we do things just because that is how they have always been done. one that doesnt make up rules for living for me. one that realises that christianity is not a morality code, but a way of life.
i dream of a house of prayer. one who cries out to god on behalf of the nations daily. one whos people realize that their brothers and sisters are worldwide and they need our help. one whos only prayers are for its own peoples prosperity. a church that can see that most of our nations "problems" are pretty small in comparison with millions of peoples hunger.
i dream of a church where the preacher dosnt make six figures and thinks that it is ok. where the people in our churches would not let this happen. a church that would take care of people who needed it. a church that sends out missionaries everyday into the world and into our communities.
i dream of a church whos people dont need to be preached at. who dont need to be spoon fed everything and told how to act. one whos people come because the want to - not out of obligation.
i dream of a church based on relationships. real feelings, real hurt, real happiness. one that wont pass out a tract so they dont have to spend time and get to know a persons needs and feelings. a church that takes care of people - no matter how great the cost.
i dream of a church that is not concerned about membership numbers and what the return is on the dollars we spend, but knows it is all kingdom work. and knows that the kingdom is here now.
i dream of a church where everyone is equal. where you do not have to be a deacon or an elder to serve communion. where everyone is treated with the same respect. a church where the people who give more money would not have more say in what happens. a church free of politics and all the shit that goes along with it.
i dream of a church that preaches environmentalism. a place that realises that the kingdom is here now - and we are stewards of this great earth. one who doesnt spend thousands of dollars printing and throwing things away every week.
i dream of a church that will help my friends want to know christ, not give them every reason in the world to run far far away. i dream of a place where christians dont see themselves as better than the world and my friends in this world. a place where we dont only socialize with ourselves.
i dream of a church who wont condemn. whos people will love and not talk about people when they are hurting, but instead love them as christ did.
i dream of a church that is in love with the poor. not by giving some money - but by opening their doors and hearts. by not looking at those different than us with a wild eye. a church who loves those that christ so loves.
i dream of a church not in love with capitalism and shackled to the american dream. i dream of a place that doesnt preach a prosperity gospel when there are millions who dont even know where their next meal will come from. i dream of a christian who puts gods dreams in front of their own.
these are some of my dreams. i want these things to change in me first and foremost - and it is hard. but i think these are some of the things christ would have wanted.
7 Responses to “my dreams...”
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about...
- me...will
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will, just chanced upon your blog & i really dig it. i agree with most everything you say about the church (and i'm an old dude). and i love reading about all your adventures in praha - i've been there once for a couple of days (stayed in liliova right in the centre), loved it, and love to see your pictures. god bless you as you continue to live for him and work out your ideas. you are not alone!
Your post is really thought-provoking and I like it... I feel so blessed just to be a part of my church -- it's a comforting & loving "family" that is mission-based and just full of goodness without the hypocrisy that I think often plagues the Baptist church (which I'm not singling out, but you mentioned it)...
I have seen the politics at play in my old church and it is an ugly, ugly thing. In my opinion, it is the devil at work -- pure & simple. We just have to keep from letting him use as his tools!!!
I have to disagree with you on one thing just a titch, though -- I like some of the traditions. I don't want a church that operates solely on a schedule of the same thing each Sunday. However, for example, to me, hymns are traditions in a way. And the Doxology. The Gloria Patri. Those things allow us, as a congregation, to come together and worship together, not just sit and listen to a sermon or readings, but to sing to the glory of God TOGETHER...
Just some thoughts... ;)
well it def isnt just the baptist church - this is just where i grew up.
about the traditions - i said the stale ones that no longer have meaning. i dont think that traditions are bad - only when we do them out of - well tradition. i love so many of the traditions - and not only ones from the protestant church. ones from my jewish and catholic heritage as well. but when we find ourselves doing things only just because we always have - then i have a problem with that.
and about the singing...trust me in my church we sing together more than anything. i dont really need to be preached to -i want to worship. and i love hymns too. just maybe not singing them with an organ to a nice 4/4 tempo with a guy swinging his arms up and down to the beat.. and there are also several modern "hymns" we can sing too.
What up willis, i agree with you 100% well 98% i do have a few questions. If we don't tolerate intolerance isn't that in itself being intolerant. So if we want to teach others to be tolerant shouldn't we tolerate them? lead by example... and AMEN to the way of life, not just a moral code we never fall out of grace. And what i dislike most is a church only concerned with membership numbers or the number of baptisms they have performed for the year to judge their success; this is not a freaking business!!! But we don't need to stop preaching the gospel, what we need are preachers who do more than preach... we need leaders (life sermons). I do feel that tracts are often cheezy, but there are some simple minded folks in this world that need simple explanations, and more than none they can be effective. The whole deacon thing well i do agree, however the Lord jumped on me a little about that yesterday. We should be looking at who is serving us, the person. Maybe we should be trying to understand who they really are and their struggles, their weaknesses, trying to pick them up. So even as deacons they are just like you and me, everyday joe smoes. In other words i think we often make a position more than it really is, we hold them higher than they really are. Deacons let us down just as everyone else and we make them false heroes.
Who cares about politics or committees, what happened to just plain out solving a problem? We don’t need to form a dumb committee to tell someone we need to accomplish a goal. Besides most of the time the committee isn’t involved in the process anyway, they are told an option and that option is recommended and that is accepted (usually the only option recommended) all because that is what one man wants and it happens. If you do happen to disagree it doesn’t matter, you are not the one who gives all the money.
I dream of the real church that is coming…
Will, Happened on your blog from a link on a blog from a link on a friend's blog. Sorta the six degrees of seperation thing I guess. Anyway, read this post and couldn't help to reply. I too feel the same way. I stopped going to church a long time ago because of the things that preachers and church leaders passed off as Christianity. I grew up in a small southern baptist church in MS. A few years ago had the fortune to become involved in a church here in Atlanta that is far from the typical church, but not perfect, by any means. It is the South after all. Anyway, the experience has opened many doors to let me see and read from others. Others like Don Miller (which I noticed in your books choice in your profile) and Rob Bell at Mars Hill. I'd also recommend Erwin McManus at Mosaic (mosaic.org). They are video podcasting their services via iTunes. Just watched a service from two weeks ago that dealt with a lot of these issues.
Looking forward to reading more of your blog.
The key questions is "What are we doing to make those dreams a reality?"
Willis, I agree with you on some of your thoughts. Many things have become frustrating about the church. However, just because and few people may have lost their focus in a church, do not neglect the rest of the people there that are devoted to the Lord and want to see His Kingdom come. No church on earth is perfect b/c they are all made up of imperfect people. So now, we ALL have a decision to make:1. do we get fed up with the bad things about church and quit going or 2. do we look for the good and keep going and try to make it a better place. i love you and prayin for you.