Get back

I feel like I need to get back to something that's been missing. I'm done with books about God, I just want the Word. And I'm tired of playing quietly on Sunday mornings to three songs that have been precisely prepared, I just want to bang on the drums really loud and worship with my friends to lots of songs that might not go the way we planned with people that might jump up and down, raise their hands in the air, shed some tears, and sing louder than I'm drumming!

"I just can't get past the judgmentalism"

I had a friend email me this:

I've been thinking about starting to go to church again :). And throughout the thought process, I've been thinking a lot about the reasons I stopped. One of the biggest reasons/things that turned me off to it was that I feel like a lot of Christians that I know are very, and openly, judgemental about things people do, even though they may do some things that would not be right in the eyes of God themselves.

And that provoked a though...I was raised to believe that no one has the right to pass judgement except for God. And if God is so quick to forgive those who are truly sorry for their sins, how can people (I guess Christians in this case) be so quick to pass judgement?

Here was my response...for what it's worth.

I think you are right. Many (even most) Christians do tend to see the faults in others instead of graciously finding the good in them. I'm sure I'm guilty of this more often than I'd like to admit. That's a big problem in the American Church. I saw a study that 9 out of 10 young people view Christians as judgmental.

I think it's important to separate out what Chrisitans do and who Christ is. Christianity is a religion full of sinful people in need of God's grace and mercy. Just becuase Chrisitans sin (and are judmental) does not make what they believe wrong. It just means they (we) are in need of forgiveness.

I think that a lot of American Christians base their faith off of what they were taught growing up instead of on their own experience hearing from God through reading His Word and prayer. I'd encourage you, as you think through this for yourself, to take a week or two and thoughtfully read through the book of Matthew. Pay specific attention to what Jesus says and does.

On the other side of the coin, I will say, though, that as much as Jesus talks about not judging others, He does say that we are to hold other Christians accountable for their sake (not for our own). If a "brother" sins against you, the bible says in Matthew 18, that you are to go to him and show him his fault. Also, James 5:20 specifically talks about turning a sinner from the error of his way.

I read in a book about how people view Christians that "If Christians won't point out God's standard; who will?" It may not be popular to talk about God's standards, but if someone doesn't know they're sinning, how are they to ask forgiveness? The key is to "speak the truth in love."

Walking

I have a dog named Rigley. When I take him for walks he pulls so hard at his leash it's like he's trying to pull a car out of a ditch or win the Iditarod all by himself. It's hardly a case of a man and his dog going for a walk. It's more like the dog trying to drag his master where he wants to go, when a walk around the block alongside his master would be fun and healthy for both of them.

When I say that I'm "walking with God" I think that my relationship with God might be like my dog's relationship with me. God's trying to go for a walk with me and I like to claim that I am walking with him, but in reality I'm tugging as hard as I can in whatever direction I want to go; not walking alongside God in the direction He's going. All God wants is for me to walk with Him through life. Not go wherever I want to go with Him in-tow claiming to be walking with Him.

Eventually Rigley and I make it around the block, but it sure isn't enjoyable. In the end, God is sovereign, and He accomplishes his purpose, but how much better would it be if I walked alongside Him instead of trying to take him where I want to go?

It's so good

I don't really have anything profound to say. I'm just posting to say that I've been reading the Old Testament lately and it's so good. I don't just mean that it's interesting; I mean that it's so good to be reading it. Normally when I try to read through the OT I'll start at the beginning and really enjoy Genesis and Exodus, but I get bogged down in Leviticus (and/or Numbers) and just quit reading. So this time I just skipped over them and started in Deuteronomy. Then I kept going and have since finished Joshua and Judges and it is really good.

It's just really neat learning more about who God is and what He's done. I'm amazed at how often His people turned away from Him...and He kept giving them another chance. I'm amazed at how much war and killing went on. I'm surprised I've never heard anyone talk about the military power-house Israel was under Joshua's leadership, and how many nations and kings they completely eliminated.

Anyway, just some thoughts. But I have to end with one of my favorite lines in the whole bible that gives me chills/goose bumps everytime I think about it:

Joshua 5:13-15 - "Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" "Neither," he replied, "but as comander of the army of the LORD i have now come."

If you want to know why I think that's so cool you can read my earlier post from April 11, 2007.