| Okay...I'm getting kinda sick of this. I've had enough! I've got something to say now, and I would appreciate it if as many people as possible would read this. I think that you will understand how passionate I am about this this issue by the time you are done reading: Let me start with an analogy...If you walk into a McDonalds on the East Coast, and you order a cheeseburger, you would expect to get the same exact thing as if you went to a McDonalds on the West Coast. This idea of consistency is comforting to us. We like to know what we are getting. We would get uncomfortable if we expected a cheeseburger, but were handed a bag of raw meat instead! How sickening! Now, my problem is not with the fast food industry using this idea of consistency, but rather with CHRIST'S CHURCH ADOPTING IT!!! If you walk into a church building, there are certain aspects in people that you EXPECT to find. You assume that people will dress and behave a certain way. We believe that, in order to be a Christian, you must go through the "Cookie-cutter" mold that fashions us into the same exact person. Where do we get this idea that Christians are all supposed to look the same? Why do we expect to find little "McChristians"??? Christians are not supposed to all look alike. We can be UNITED in Christ, without being UNIFORM. We are not called to uniformity, but to brotherly love, which is able to cover up a multitude of differences; love should be able to unite people from EVERY different background. We somehow think that if we can fill a room with 2000 people who look alike, behave alike, and think alike, then we have in some way gathered all of the wisdom in the world under one roof! We protest anything that makes us stretch our own little comfort zone. We are fine supporting the mission field in Africa, but when the mission field starts to come into MY church??? Oh, heck no! I can't worship with people who are different from myself! The challenge of being the church is NOT collecting people from the same demographic into one room. The challenge of being the church is being able to unite ALL nations, races, genders, ages, etc. under ONE GOD! Readers, beware! I have only gotten started! I am about to get really personal! What would we do if a group of prostitutes walked into the church building on Sunday morning? I mean, what if they came in, RIGHT OFF THE STREET, dressed for their usual job? We would more than likely run them out of the building! Wouldn't we? Oh, no! ...we wouldn't do that; we would SHOW THAT PERSON THE LOVE OF CHRIST....by asking her to leave until she can dress more appropriatly for the occasion. What have we just done in that case? We have bought the LIE that we can have the "love of Christ" for a person, but we can't overlook appearances??? Now THAT is SHAMEFUL! The love of Christ means that we are willing to cross any barrier, drop any lable, leave any comfort zone in order to reach the lost. After all, isn't that what Christ did to show His love for US??? "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) HOW DARE WE SAY THAT WE LOVE THEM WITH THE LOVE OF THE LORD, if we can't even look past the things that bother us personally??? I have heard people say, I love them like Christ would, but I just CAN'T STAND to be around them!!! In essence, they are watering down the love of Christ, and saying that it is not as strong as the love of the world. I have two words for people who say that they love with the love of the Lord, but don't love with the love of any other sense: "STOP IT!!!!!" You are giving the church a horrible image...but as if that isn't enough...YOU ARE GIVING CHRIST a horrible image! You are supposed to BE Christ for this world! Why do you act differently? Many Christians have made God in their own image, rather than being transformed into his. This can lead to God as being portrayed (to say the least) as racist, sexist, violent, hate-driven, and biggoted! I hope that I am not alone in making these observations! The Church of God is supposed to be a light for the world. What are we doing when we are running people away? I submit that we are shooing them into the darkness, and taking away any reason that they had originally to seek out the light. The best place for a group of sinners is with the CHURCH! People want to feel loved and accepted; like part of a family. Is this what the church is offering? I think that people get more understanding, and a better sense of community, at a BAR than at church. People feel like they are being judged when they don't look like the other Christians in the room. This is simply wrong. We are supposed to be a safe-haven for the "weak and heavy laden". The church should be the place that people feel important. People should not conform to the cookie-cutter, but they should rather use their individuality to benefit the family. Therefore, a "church" that has no diversity is not a church that fosters the growth of its members. In my opinion, if there is no individual growth, and exploration of personal gifts, there is no real church. Perhaps this is where my liberalism kicks in, but I am even of the impression that Sunday worship services should be a place where both Christians AND NON-CHRISTIANS can sit along-side one another. If people are genuinly seeking spiritual answers, the church should be a place where people of ANY belief feel welcome. And we should not turn ANYONE away. May God forgive me if I am ever a part of a congregation that can't look deeper than appearances. We shouldn't all be expected to be the same. We were all created differently for a reason. Being a Christian is not about being conformed into this image of a perfect "Cookie-cutter" Christian. We are NOT all the same. We were all given different spiritual gifts, and can all be ministers for Christ in our individual ways. It is not about refining are habits to match the upper-middle class; nor is it about improving our wardrobe to three-piece suits; nor is it necessarily about switching our political affiliations. It is all about living for God wherever we happen to be, in whatever situation we find ourselves. --------- But don't take my word for it... 1 Corinthians 12:4-17, 21 Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord.
There are various kinds of workings, but the same God, who works all things in all.
But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.
For to one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom, and to another the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit;
to another faith, by the same Spirit; and to another gifts of healings, by the same Spirit;
and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages.
But the one and the same Spirit works all of these, distributing to each one separately as he desires.
For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all given to drink into one Spirit.
For the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot would say, "Because I'm not the hand, I'm not part of the body," it is not therefore not part of the body.
If the ear would say, "Because I'm not the eye, I'm not part of the body," it's not therefore not part of the body.
If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were hearing, where would the smelling be?.... The eye can't tell the hand, "I have no need for you," or again the head to the feet, "I have no need for you."
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