So, there are some blogs that I posted a few years ago that I wanted to paste into my current blog in order to have a good record of thoughts I had and things I went through. This particular blog was very much posted in a time when I was really tired of the behavior of most American Christians.
The process God took me through was interesting. First, he was patient with me and let me have my bad attitude. He then gently steared me back to the understanding that everything I saw in "those Christians" were the very things about me that God was sickened by.
I'm also going to post the comments that were given back when I first posted this blog. There was some good dialog from many of my friends.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Am I a Christian?
I realize that I used to be a really good Christian...was really good at being judgemental, thinking I had to be sure that everyone around me followed the rules that I believed were the way a Christian should act. Couldn't accept anyone that didn't "look" or "talk" like a Christian. I've come to realize that I don't really like Christians very much. That's not a real fair thing to say..it's not that I don't like them, I just have a hard time stomaching them. Christianity has become such a religion, a subculture, a weird civilization that is so concerned with not being "tainted" by the world that it has forgotten that it is called to love the world. When people ask me if I am a Christian, I have to tell them no. That I am really in love with God, but not so keen about his people. One of the Great Commandments is that we not take the Lord's name in vain. What that means is that we not misrepresent God's character, and we have all done a pretty good job of misrepresentation. I love God and want to look more like him, and I think I have looked more like him when I'm sitting in a bar with a group of friends playing basketball and we end up talking about God, or about how I'm in love with my wife and have no desire to cheat on her. I think I look more like him when people say "wow, when I'm around you I don't feel uncomfortable, like I have to quit cussing or pray before my meals." They wouldn't feel uncomfortable around Jesus would they? He is the ultimate in loving people and accepting them BEFORE they change. Remember Nicodemus? Jesus said "hey lets hang out" THEN Nicodemus decided to change the way he acted and looked. I don't know, it's a bit of a soap box I guess, I just think Christians have done a superb job of making Jesus look undesirable. I'm not a Christian, but I love God with all of my heart. Isn't that one of only two things he's asked us to do? Love me with all your heart soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself? Christians are some of the most un-neighborly people I know. It's kind of like looking at a married couple where the husband is the perfect husband. Loves his wife, goes out of his way for her, always puts her first, sacrifices his life to make hers the best it can possibly be. And the wife disregards it, ignores him, takes his love for granted and gives the impression that he mistreats her. I love God an awful lot, but his bride disgusts me and I hope she can learn to appreciate the good man she has. It's like Mick says to Rocky in Rocky III, "But then the worst thing happened that could happen to any fighter, you got civilized" The church has become so concerned with being accepted that it has become civilized and because of it, has become rejected. So... I'm not a Christian but desire to love God and ALL people with every fiber of my being.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Old blog from Sept 03, 2006--Christian hater
Posted by Heath at 6:05 PM
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9 comments:
Not sure who posted this comment but here it is....
this is why i love you my friend......
Posted Sept 5, 2006
Posted by my sister in law Julie on Sept 6, 2006
Props.
I am going through my own time of soul searching and have come to realize that I dont like church people, or as you call them, Christians. It seems too ironic that so many people that we grew up with in church are feeling this way. Somebody has dropped the ball. Was it us? I certainly am not raising my children to do things that would please other people, specifically people in the church. I am raising them to know who my God is and who the world is and to be well equipped to decide for themselves what they want to do with that. We certainly arent in church every time the doors open like you and I were growing up. But they will not be like handicapped sheep thrown to the wolves when they leave my nest like I was. They will know what they stand for and why--not just because it was what they were told to believe.
Thanks for the blog. You should be a preacher one day...;)
Good friend of mine Christine from Bible College
You said it so perfectly. I'm in awe right now with how good you worded this. Thanks for putting this out here, Heath. You're right on.
One of my dearest friends, James.
Hey Heaf,
thanks for the note. I appreciate the invite up to Chicago. I'll talk to Kelly about visiting you guys but don't hold your breath. Chicago isn't exactly in the top five economically feesable vacation spots on our list. WHo knows, though, God may work it out.
OK so I read your blog. I totally understand your angle and viewpoint but overall I think it is a wrong attitude. Don't stone me yet, let me explain myself. In your blog you stated, "I really love God, I'm just not so keen on His people." You and I have seen the dark underbelly of Christiandom in all it's faults and misrepresentations. Christians, I agree, can be some of the most stingy, rude, hypocritical people on the planet. And I would agree with you in your blog if God didn't feel totally opposite. The truth is this- Christians = the Church. God's people aka Christians are the hope of the world. And as much as they (we) may blow it when it comes to reflecting a perfect God, He hasn't changed His vessel to reveal Himself to this planet. Last time I checked, God's chosen vessels were us . . .Christians.
I was studying today for my message tonight at youth group and I was checking out some things in Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life" book. On page 132 he says, "I can't imagine saying to Jesus, "I Love you, but I dislike your wife." Or "I accept you, but I reject your body." But we do this whenever we dismiss or demean or complain about the church." I though it amazing that I read this on the day I was planning to respond to you.
I am with you heath about being real and authentic and there are very few things that are more evangelistic than a real authentic follower of Christ.
To sum up; God's faith is not so much in fallible man but in His Spirit INSIDE fallible man. Christians by definition are those who are born again and have the indwelling spirit of God. It may look bleak now, but His spirit is on the move INSIDE His people.
Let's walk by faith not by sight as He is Faithful to complete the work that He has begun in all of us.
Maybe it's because the culture is different down here but I really couldn't disagree with you more. In fact, just last week I was sharing with a friend how much I love God's people. I can't get enough of them.
Miss you & love the dialogue.
Jimmy
Posted by James Dodzweit on Friday, September 15, 2006 - 11:12 AM
My response to my friend James
James
I love the dialogue as well, it helps me define my feelings and articulate them more correctly. Just to clarify, I'm in love with God's people, just not so in love with how we portray him. Much the same way that I love my kids desparately but seriously disapprove with their behavior at times and have to be harsh with my response to that behavior. I recently took all but two of their toys away based on their attitude and how they treated their mother. I do recognize that my first blog was a bit negatively worded but that was due to my disgust with how our behavior has caused many non-Christians that I'm in relationship with, to dismiss God. I'm sure you've preached, as I have, that we are a reflection, an ambassador of Christ and we need to be sure and represent him properly. It's my love for the church that even causes me to be disturbed enough to comment on it. I agree with Rick Warren that we can't say "I love God but not his wife". Perhaps I didn't state that very well. I should have said that I'm not keen on how His wife acts. It would be like Charis giving the people the impression that I'm a lousy husband who demands that she have the house clean by 5 pm with dinner on the table, raise perfect kids and meet me at the door with a smile and three happy children. People that know us well would probably be quite disgusted by her behavior while still loving her and probably confront her and let her know that she's not enjoyable to be around and that she needs to change her behavior. That's kinda what I'm saying to the church. "You're not very pleasant to be around (in a general broad sweeping, lumping everyone into the same category kinda way) and you need to change your behavior because you're drastically misrepresenting the kindness, mercy, generosity and love of your husband. Like I said, I hope the church wakes up and realizes what a good man it has.
Part II of my response
I agree wholeheartedly with you that "Christians"/ True Christ Followers, are the hope of the world, the salt of the earth, the ones to whom the Great Commission was entrusted. That is why my concern is so deep. God has put me in an interesting place the last 4 years. I was invited to 4 different churches to be on staff but really felt God telling us to stay in Chicago and we didn't know why. Turns out he wanted us to view church from the outside rather than the inside which is the only view I've had my entire life. I have had not only that opportunity, but I've also been invited into the lives, viewpoints and opinions of non-christian, non-church goers. My response is only that I am grateful that I'm so in love with God as I could have very well become disillusioned with the church to the point that I would no longer attend and potentially have my relationship with God become strained. There is no mystery to me why many people don't attend church. I've met many people who are truly seeking God but can't fathom stepping into a church. It has caused me to see the amazing miracle of God that non-christians ever step into church prior to having an encounter with God. I don't blame people for not attending a church.
Now, I'm not talking about every single congregation out there. I love the church I attend, and for a church over 4000, I'm amazed at how "real" and loving they are to non-christians and they are seeing hundreds brought to Christ every year. It is the church as a whole which does trickle quite heavily into many local congregations. I agree with the author of "The Barbarian Way" that "Our greatness is unleashed in the context of community" which is exactly why we have to be deliberately dilligent in creating a community that reflects Christ which says, as Billy Graham ended every revival with, "Just as I am" I can come to Christ. I used to wonder why there was an overwhelming attitude in the youth that I ministered to which said "I must clean up before coming to Christ" I no longer wonder. I know the church doesn't intentionally propogate this message. We preach that it is purely by the grace of God that we can approach His throne and be in relationship with Him. But all too often our lives and expectations preach that you must be good enough. This is why people often freak out when they find out I'm a minister after they've told me a dirty joke. Does it only offend God because I'm a minister? No, but they feel worse about it because they have been trained to watch their behavior around God rather than seek a true and authentic relationship with Him. It's why people freak out about cussing at church but think nothing of it after they've left the property.
You are right that God's faithfulness isn't revealed in fallible man but in the Spirit inside the man, but we have to give a proper presentation. It's the same reason you have the awesome youth facility at your church. Because 'MAN LOOKS ON THE OUTSIDE But God looks at the heart." No question God knows the heart of His bride and I can't question that. But since Man looks on the outside, the bride needs to seriously examine her behavior in order to show the beauty of Christ, not the death and lifelessness of an organized civilized religion.
Love ya, look forward to a reply.
Heath
Posted by Heath on Sunday, September 17, 2006 - 12:07
My sister in law Julie
Well said, Heath. It is quite a different view from the outside looking into the church. Out of the bubble so to speak. I am so grateful to have been moved to a place in my life that I could do that. Otherwise, I am certain I would be a hypocritical pharisee seeking the approval of elders and deacons instead of constantly seeking the Grace that I dont deserve. I am so glad to have finally acknowledged that we dont have to be perfect before we come to Him.
Thank you for your honesty. Make no apologies for your presentation. We get it.
Posted by Julie on Sunday, September 17, 2006 - 8:35 PM
My friend from Bible College, Danielle
this blog makes me want to stand on my chair and cheer...seriously...i'm grateful there are people out there who are doing us justice...
Posted by DollFace on Wednesday, October 04, 2006 - 12:55 AM
From me....right now.
I must say, I really appreciate the friendship of James who is willing to disagree with me. Too often no one is bold enough to stand up to their friends for fear of hurting someone's feelings.
Thanks James
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