Inside church or Outside church???

My mind comes up with these strange ideas at times. Today is one of those days. I was reflecting on meeting yet another homeless man in the park yesterday when I decided I needed to clarify which church I would be attending today, inside church or outside church.

Inside church normally is held on Sundays, sometimes in the morning, sometimes at night, depends. Inside church is also held on Wednesdays in some areas, and even Saturdays in others, like those fancy dancy high powered praise services. (Sometimes I like them, when I need a worship buzz or high. Not too often, gives me a headache.) There are other times inside church is held, but mainly those are the times, Sunday being the numero uno tiempo.

So then, when is outside church held and where???

I almost forgot to mention that inside church is most specifically reserved inside four walls and a roof, sometimes AC is in working order, heating in the colder months, and sometimes there is free coffee and donuts, yum. There are other places to find inside church as well, home bible studies work well and schools are sometimes rented for inside church and even a workout gym or theatre too.

Outside church, so where is it held and when? Okay, this is a tough question. Anywhere outside the four walls and anytime. Wherever a Christian or two or three are, that could be called outside church. In fact, you don't really need that many Christians to have it. You can have some people who are not Christians, maybe you can call them pre Christians. (I heard that word the other day, kind of cute.)

You can hold outside church just about anywhere or anytime. Not many restrictions. Just go and do church whenever or wherever.

Not sure about you, but outside church can be pretty exciting and challenging. If you haven't heard about it, you should try it. If you have no clue what I'm writing about, drop me a line. Better yet, come by and we'll go out for church.

The Church Today, followers or foreigners?

Would you say the church today is following closely in the footsteps of Christ? If your answer is 'yes', how would you back that up? Could you go to the Gospels and read what Christ said followers are supposed to look like and then say, 'That is exactly what our church is all about! Serving, loving, giving all for others, praying, sacrificing.'

Or would you say that in your experience the church is not so much about these sorts of things, but more focused in other areas? Years ago when the Willow Creek movement came about many jumped on board, and others cringed. Honestly, I cringed. I couldn't envision that what was being taught in Chicago was what was taught by Jesus in the Word. It just didn't match up.

So, does the experience you are having in the church you are involved in match up to what the Bible calls us to live?

If you read Matthew 25 there are some very poignant words that Jesus tells his would be followers to grab hold of, better known as 'the least of these'. What is so strange is that if we lay these and many other passages from the Gospels beside the church today in much of the United States we would have to say, it doesn't even come close. Why not?

Then we can hop over to the book of Acts and see more inconsistencies with the first century church and the church of today. Who's getting it right and who is not? Dare we venture to James 1 where the writer tells us what pure religion is, to care for orphans and widows, and not to act like those of the world?

I am not writing to vent, I am writing to challenge each Christian to seriously look into how their local church is operating and compare it to the New Testament. Then to pray and put into action what they see the New Testament church really is. If it is the same, then so be it. So live it. If it calls you to a radical life of faith and action, then so be it. So live it.

Tough times call for men, women and youth to act and not sit back. People all around the world, not just the United States are in a season where they are looking for someone to step forward in courage and lead, full of conviction and passion. We are looking for change, for a better way. If you don't believe this, look how President Obama won. He campaigned on one simple issue, change.

Change we can believe in. I don't believe one president can change the state of this country. Call me pessimestic or realistic. And I am not an anti Obama guy. I just have heard enough politicians promise the moon and give us a mud puddle instead.

Change we can believe in comes in the form of Christ being lived out as humble servants who care more about their neighbors and family than about their own selves. Crazy, right, just like Philippians 2. Christ was really crazy then.

Change in our churches can only come as one Christian at a time searches God's word empowered by the Holy Spirit and with much prayer. And then lives it out daily.

Church...love, leave it, or just put up with it

Some days I love the church. Some days I could leave it and not come back. Some days I just put up with it. I know, this sounds kind of not so religious doesn't it. Well, I'm not so religious some days. Hear me out before you call me a heretic or a loser or any other names.

Sometimes I really get tired of the abuse of power, the struggle for power, the politics, etc. of the church. Sometimes I wonder if this organism called the church looks anything like what God intended it to be. Sometimes I wonder if we are doing it right or anywhere near what Jesus wants it to be done. Sometimes I look in the Bible and I see what the church is in the New Testament and think, "Huh?"

I have been involved with the organized church for over 45 years, my mom thought I should start early. She brought me to church when I was only a few weeks old. I have seen a lot of good things happen in the Body. I have seen some things that mad me cry with tears of joy or shout with an Amen, however, I shouted inside so no one would hear since I am in a conservative church. I have some of the best memories of my life in the church, baptizing both my kids at a small church called Bethany. I even remember a concrete block falling on my foot when I baptized my daughter. She was too short to stand in the baptistry so she stood on this block, until she kicked it on top of my foot, and I had no shoes on. Good times!

The last few years I have seen more of the fleshly nature in the church than the spiritual nature. And I don't like it. Not sure what God thinks, maybe one day we will find out. I know anytime you have people you have problems. Kenny C taught me that. I understand that we are all sinners and but by the grace of God we would stay in that sin mode all our lives. It just seems the church is over run by sin and lacking in people who are doing their best to walk in obedience to what Christ taught.

I am not perfect, ask my wife, my son, my daughter, oh anyone that knows me. I do not ever expect I will be. But I think maybe just maybe Christ wants me to make a serious attempt at living the words in the New Testament. Now I'm not talking legalism. Been there, done that. Left it behind. But when we will stop making excuses and start living Christ's way.

What does that mean? Love your neighbor as yourself. Do for others what you would have them do for you. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Bear one another's burdens.

Ha! Maybe you thought this was going to be a list of all the don't do's of the New Testament. Nope. There are so many things we are called to do if we would just do the do's we would not have time to worry about doing the don'ts. Go into all the world. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Do everything without grumbling or complaining. You get the point.

I talked to two great guys today, one who happens to be a missionary and the other a missionary recruit. They both get this, praise God! I love hanging out with these two guys. They make me love the church and see a hope for the church!

Jesus said something else, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."