and the party never ends...
D i v i e r t e n s e
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Friday, October 26, 2007
of no reputation
"let this mindset be in you, which is in Jesus...who makes himself of no reputation". (Philippians)
This is such a joke. Nothing could be further from the truth in today's Body.
There's so much glamor and glitz going on these days it'll make your head spin. A vast, vast sea of Christians doing all they can to make a name for themself. Authors, pastors, evangelists, bands, writers, vocalists. So many who put on a false front of humility, yet who beneath the surface bloodlust for prestige. (And what comes with prestige and popularity? Riches, of course.)
Aren't you fed up with hearing someone who may actually have some good things to say...and yet they invariably feel they HAVE to go into plug-my-table, plug-my-website mode?
Have you noticed the swelling, puffed undertones when they miserably attempt to be demure in mentioning they "just so happen" to have a table/site to peddle their wares? Ever thought about how dainty and innocent they attempt to make all this? Ever been underwhelmed by the excuses people give to justify doing this? Ever seen right through the mask? Ever had a yellow or red flag go up inside you regarding someone that looked good, smelled good and was saying all the things that made them seem harmless and innocent?
Last year I decided to browse the website of one of the "name" Christian people. What's interesting is this person boldly states on their site that one of the things they are most vehemently and proactively opposed to is pride among today's Christian leaders.
One click away on their site is this person's bio page, which just so happens to go into grand detail about: how many thousands attend their church, how many books they have sold, how many umpteen other pastors they have taught, where all over the world this person has extensively traveled to share their message, along with tons of news-source accolades heralding this person and their church as the greatest thing since sliced bread--i.e., how influential they are, how respected they are, how big of a Movement their stuff is, and how they are quite arguably the best pastor in the land. I just went to the site (just now), and wouldn't you know everything is still right there.
I'm sorry. I can't hear what you're saying for what you're doing.
There's a couple of other things that come to mind with regard to being of no reputation.
One of them is thinking back through the years, visiting churches and seeing the lathered-on-thick manpraise going on in Christian circles. It is common in Christian arenas for people to go super-overboard in heralding how incredible and great people are.
They do this both with regard to their leader(s) and also themselves. I have visited churches who claim to be warm and loving beyond my wildest dreams...and no one said a word to me the whole time (which I didn't mind from my end, but I'm speaking of this in the context of their proclamations).
They go waaaaaayyyy too far in trying to convince me as a visitor that this person who's going to speak is really something else and I therefore should really really listen closely. It never ceases to amaze me the use of such blatant mind-bending techniques to try and convince me to pay close attention to their "great pastor", "great man of God", "man of integrity", etc.
It is not uncommon for them to also throw into the slather a laundry list of human accomplishments, which are also geared to impress me. Even if "the man" there is not renowned on a large scale, they throw in any titles and accomplishments they can to try and build credibility (so that I'll be sure and pay attention).
Some Christian groups do this by requiring their pastors obtain a doctorate degree before they are allowed to speak. Almost every pastor in these organizations must be(come) Dr. So-n-So. Have you ever noticed the unadulterated pride with which these folks make a huge prideful deal about the "Dr." in front of the name? Being a Dr. doesn't make one either good or bad. But why these circles think titles or fame make someone good or credible is a joke.
I don't give a rat's ass about laundry-list resumes and prefixes before names. I couldn't give less of a shit about someone who has great delivery or persuasion techniques.
This is because the Way is not about persuasion. I see a lot of Christianity building their entire empires and paradigms around the Way being about persuasion. It's not. This is not about persuading or convincing. (Ever stop to consider this? Look around at how much of it is going on all around us?)
The Way is not about numbers either.
Neither do I care how many publications someone has written, how many books they're selling, how sweeping their thoughts or their Movement is. None of these things, to me, indicate whether someone is of God or not. All these things are man's measuring stick, not God's.
Yet the Body is deeply deeply entrenched in these things, saying and believing these things make someone a "man of God", a "gifted teacher", a prophet or whatever other wide number of titles and attributes Christians enjoy giving themselves.
All of this is extremely frustrating to me. Adding insult to injury in this is the widespread practice of Christians giving all kinds of man-glory and pats to themselves on the back for things that aren't even remotely important to God. Things that have nothing to do with the Way. Things that have nothing to do with being Jesus.
All this gluttunous pageantry and panache going around? It is so Old Testament it's not even funny. It was OT practice for God's people to do all manner of pomp and circumstance. And from what I read, yeah, God was pretty much into that kind of thing back then.
When is Jesus ever into production, over-the-top glut or pizzazz? It is indeed awesome when he publishes the Kingdom--withered hands healed, the dead raised, the blind seeing, the condemned forgiven, demons dispelled--yet Jesus does these things without showmanship, without revelry, without making a big whoop-tee-doo. Jesus purposely averts any attempts to be prestigious. His name is spread abroad, but this does not take place via self-promotion.
He brings some amazing things of God to mankind, yet does so with no flare, no self-promotion, no overt efforts to make a name for himself. Sure, we read of large crowds surging in, yet this is their doing, not his. Rather, of Jesus we read that he frequently goes off to lonely places to be alone. We read of times where the crowds search for him, other times where they want to give him all kinds of accolades, and he is either nowhere to be found, censors them to be quiet (and not reveal Who he is) or gets the heck out of there so the crowning doesn't take place.
This is not the spirit of the body of Jesus today. Not even close. I see a helluva lot of crowning going on today among Christians. It's deeply ingrained in Christian culture.
I don't buy the tippy-toeing around our grounding. Our grounding to be the same as Jesus, who makes himself of no reputation.
There's a lot of evil continually being bred by this grounding being blatantly ignored and excused away.
It's cool to see Father beginning to chink holes in this unaberrated and widespread haughtiness. It makes a lot of folks wince, cause God doing this puts a dent in the "we're pristine, we're aligned with God" front the Body tries to portray about itself.
It's interesting to see the damage-control mode the Body goes into when God authors the ass-kicking. Straighten the tie, straighten the hair, clear the throat. Then put on that fake smile Christians are so famous for. Oh, and be sure to lay all kinds of blame on "the enemy" and whine about being persecuted.
Unbelievable. God is trying to plug some holes in the ship, cause there's a helluva lot of them, and Christians talk as though this going on is anything but God.
God would rather light people's ass up than have them continue on as they are.
Do it more, Father.
This is such a joke. Nothing could be further from the truth in today's Body.
There's so much glamor and glitz going on these days it'll make your head spin. A vast, vast sea of Christians doing all they can to make a name for themself. Authors, pastors, evangelists, bands, writers, vocalists. So many who put on a false front of humility, yet who beneath the surface bloodlust for prestige. (And what comes with prestige and popularity? Riches, of course.)
Aren't you fed up with hearing someone who may actually have some good things to say...and yet they invariably feel they HAVE to go into plug-my-table, plug-my-website mode?
Have you noticed the swelling, puffed undertones when they miserably attempt to be demure in mentioning they "just so happen" to have a table/site to peddle their wares? Ever thought about how dainty and innocent they attempt to make all this? Ever been underwhelmed by the excuses people give to justify doing this? Ever seen right through the mask? Ever had a yellow or red flag go up inside you regarding someone that looked good, smelled good and was saying all the things that made them seem harmless and innocent?
Last year I decided to browse the website of one of the "name" Christian people. What's interesting is this person boldly states on their site that one of the things they are most vehemently and proactively opposed to is pride among today's Christian leaders.
One click away on their site is this person's bio page, which just so happens to go into grand detail about: how many thousands attend their church, how many books they have sold, how many umpteen other pastors they have taught, where all over the world this person has extensively traveled to share their message, along with tons of news-source accolades heralding this person and their church as the greatest thing since sliced bread--i.e., how influential they are, how respected they are, how big of a Movement their stuff is, and how they are quite arguably the best pastor in the land. I just went to the site (just now), and wouldn't you know everything is still right there.
I'm sorry. I can't hear what you're saying for what you're doing.
There's a couple of other things that come to mind with regard to being of no reputation.
One of them is thinking back through the years, visiting churches and seeing the lathered-on-thick manpraise going on in Christian circles. It is common in Christian arenas for people to go super-overboard in heralding how incredible and great people are.
They do this both with regard to their leader(s) and also themselves. I have visited churches who claim to be warm and loving beyond my wildest dreams...and no one said a word to me the whole time (which I didn't mind from my end, but I'm speaking of this in the context of their proclamations).
They go waaaaaayyyy too far in trying to convince me as a visitor that this person who's going to speak is really something else and I therefore should really really listen closely. It never ceases to amaze me the use of such blatant mind-bending techniques to try and convince me to pay close attention to their "great pastor", "great man of God", "man of integrity", etc.
It is not uncommon for them to also throw into the slather a laundry list of human accomplishments, which are also geared to impress me. Even if "the man" there is not renowned on a large scale, they throw in any titles and accomplishments they can to try and build credibility (so that I'll be sure and pay attention).
Some Christian groups do this by requiring their pastors obtain a doctorate degree before they are allowed to speak. Almost every pastor in these organizations must be(come) Dr. So-n-So. Have you ever noticed the unadulterated pride with which these folks make a huge prideful deal about the "Dr." in front of the name? Being a Dr. doesn't make one either good or bad. But why these circles think titles or fame make someone good or credible is a joke.
I don't give a rat's ass about laundry-list resumes and prefixes before names. I couldn't give less of a shit about someone who has great delivery or persuasion techniques.
This is because the Way is not about persuasion. I see a lot of Christianity building their entire empires and paradigms around the Way being about persuasion. It's not. This is not about persuading or convincing. (Ever stop to consider this? Look around at how much of it is going on all around us?)
The Way is not about numbers either.
Neither do I care how many publications someone has written, how many books they're selling, how sweeping their thoughts or their Movement is. None of these things, to me, indicate whether someone is of God or not. All these things are man's measuring stick, not God's.
Yet the Body is deeply deeply entrenched in these things, saying and believing these things make someone a "man of God", a "gifted teacher", a prophet or whatever other wide number of titles and attributes Christians enjoy giving themselves.
All of this is extremely frustrating to me. Adding insult to injury in this is the widespread practice of Christians giving all kinds of man-glory and pats to themselves on the back for things that aren't even remotely important to God. Things that have nothing to do with the Way. Things that have nothing to do with being Jesus.
All this gluttunous pageantry and panache going around? It is so Old Testament it's not even funny. It was OT practice for God's people to do all manner of pomp and circumstance. And from what I read, yeah, God was pretty much into that kind of thing back then.
When is Jesus ever into production, over-the-top glut or pizzazz? It is indeed awesome when he publishes the Kingdom--withered hands healed, the dead raised, the blind seeing, the condemned forgiven, demons dispelled--yet Jesus does these things without showmanship, without revelry, without making a big whoop-tee-doo. Jesus purposely averts any attempts to be prestigious. His name is spread abroad, but this does not take place via self-promotion.
He brings some amazing things of God to mankind, yet does so with no flare, no self-promotion, no overt efforts to make a name for himself. Sure, we read of large crowds surging in, yet this is their doing, not his. Rather, of Jesus we read that he frequently goes off to lonely places to be alone. We read of times where the crowds search for him, other times where they want to give him all kinds of accolades, and he is either nowhere to be found, censors them to be quiet (and not reveal Who he is) or gets the heck out of there so the crowning doesn't take place.
This is not the spirit of the body of Jesus today. Not even close. I see a helluva lot of crowning going on today among Christians. It's deeply ingrained in Christian culture.
I don't buy the tippy-toeing around our grounding. Our grounding to be the same as Jesus, who makes himself of no reputation.
There's a lot of evil continually being bred by this grounding being blatantly ignored and excused away.
It's cool to see Father beginning to chink holes in this unaberrated and widespread haughtiness. It makes a lot of folks wince, cause God doing this puts a dent in the "we're pristine, we're aligned with God" front the Body tries to portray about itself.
It's interesting to see the damage-control mode the Body goes into when God authors the ass-kicking. Straighten the tie, straighten the hair, clear the throat. Then put on that fake smile Christians are so famous for. Oh, and be sure to lay all kinds of blame on "the enemy" and whine about being persecuted.
Unbelievable. God is trying to plug some holes in the ship, cause there's a helluva lot of them, and Christians talk as though this going on is anything but God.
God would rather light people's ass up than have them continue on as they are.
Do it more, Father.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
milk, cookies, home runs and Monopoly
It's really sad to note the attitudes and paradigms through which Christianity portrays life. If I were to take Christianity at its word, I should rightfully expect my life to take on surreal successes of unfathomable proportions.
The widespread message today is that God is this loving, compassionate Guy, and all He thinks about is being sweet to me and giving me milk and cookies. Accordingly, I can expect to see gluttonous excesses become the norm in my life. Tell me you likewise have not heard (and perhaps even bought into) this message.
It seems the core premise of this is: if you will come to God then He will love you, and the evidence of Him loving you will be continual, drop-your-jaw, miraculous success and favor in human circumstances.
This is a really slick, ear-tickling sell. It's preposterous, yet the zeal and blindness with which millions of people cling to this false reality is stunning.
If I were to believe the magnitude with which this message is preached to me, I have every right to expect that every time my kid swings a baseball bat they are going to hit a home run. If I become a Follower, I have every right to think that every time my kid touches a soccer ball with their foot the ball is going to go into the goal.
Would you look around at the messages you see the voices of Christianity vocalizing today, and tell me if you likewise do not see this as the case?
As my merry life rolls along, why, because I am a "child of God" He wants me to go directly to Go and collect $200. I will own Broadway and Park Place, and it will be "God's will" that everybody land on my properties and my cupboard will overflow with insane abundance.
If I take the outlandish claims of churches at face value, you would think by the way they talk that the business I own will skyrocket upward, or if I am an employee that every customer or project I'm involved with will become the benchmark pinnacle around which all other business of the company will forever be compared to.
This is a really slick ploy.
It's a really cunning way to try and get people to come to God. These people are promising people that if they will come to Him that in turn they can expect their life to become the equivalent of winning the lottery. You'll have money. You'll be able to do all kinds of things. You'll have relationships beyond your wildest dreams. You'll be on the right side of the tracks. And, of course, this is what God wants for you because...HE LOVES YOU. What's really sad about this is the mind-blowing arrogance with which Christians hold unswervingly to this premise.
The day you realize God's love does not hinge upon favorable human circumstances will be a great day for you, friend.
The day you quit letting the Church inject its "God just wants to be nice to you" Kool Aid into your veins will be an even better day than that. And the day you're totally detoxed from this Kool Aid will be an even better day than that.
This goochy-goo message is not anywhere in the words of Jesus, and I'm really sorry you have been sold this snake oil. I'm even sorrier if you are selling it to others.
In spite of this, there are a few droplets of water trickling into this paradigm wasteland. God is beginning to chink holes in this Hoover Dam of Christianity. He's authoring things that are dismantling these coddling mindsets.
If you got into Christianity, or are associated with it now, on the foundational premise you just want God to be nice to you, do Him and us a favor and leave. Seriously. If you think this whole thing revolves around God answering your prayers, go do something else. You are shitting on Jesus' blood, infecting it and contaminating it with me-on-the-throne, tail-wags-the-dog self indulgence. Even worse, you're misrepresenting the Way.
So please, just leave. And take your milk, cookies and Monopoly game pieces with you.
Friday, October 12, 2007
ambitions of today's Body
In some follow-up thoughts to the last post, this came to mind: what is it those in the Body are aspiring to? In other words, when someone embraces God, what happens? What actually takes place in the life of someone who embraces God?
From what I can see in looking around (and let me know if you see different in your looking around) there are two pinnacle ends of Christianity: blessing (victory) and experiencing God (aka, entering/being-in God's presence).
These observations stem from billboards, marquees, radio and tv, websites, message boards, email, circulars, postings and overhearing Christians who purport to be "in" with God. If I know nothing about God I hone this view by observing the things people who allege to know Him do and say. How are these people living? What are they indicating is going on as a result of their (allegedly) being acquainted with Him?
And here is where something is horribly, horribly disastrous with Christianity.
The fact that almost the entire body of Jesus lives, prays, expects,
hopes, speaks and reasons as though blessing and presence are the goal of the Way is spawning all kinds of hell. This contributes to the root of extreme haughtiness so common among Christians, who think their "favor" with God translates into nonstop goodies and entitlement.
It's a staple in the superficiality and callousness of the hearts of people who ironically claim to be warm, caring and loving. It's a factor in the severely warped view of Positive Christians, who live every breath of life erroneously thinking that God only wants good things to happen to people. (And that life consists solely of "finding the good [positive] in everything". What a warped perception of reality on this planet.)
It's a contributor to the spending of multi, multi, multi millions of dollars every year on things that God doesn't give a rat's ass about. And I think this could quite possibly be the saddest thing of all. People who allege to know what is important to God putting all kinds of over-the-top, gluttonous emphasis on things that aren't important to Him.
Jesus minces no words about people who purport to know God who are in actuality (and in Jesus' own words) "double sons of hell". Why don't we give more thought to Jesus bluntly saying that shrewd businessmen and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of those who perceive they are intimate with God?
I've got a friend who talks off and on about God yet is a huge critic and skeptic (and justifiably so) of Christianity. He put it really well recently when he said "These Christians actually think that God has nothing better to do than sit around thinking about how He can do things for them." I replied, "I know. Exactly." This friend, who has a casual knowledge of God, has a better understanding of Him than most Christians I come across.
The blessing/presence obsession is such an ear-tickling message. It gives Christians something to do to be busy, instead of being about doing the things Jesus says are the Way.
It's also an extremely self-absorbed paradigm. All these Christians wanting to do nothing but recline in their lazy chairs obsessing over how much God loves them. All the time.
I've lost count of how many times I've heard people say things like "Human beings are wired for worship", talking about how "awesome worship is" (in their church, their car, etc). Amidst this Feel-Good Gospel and P&W stuff, have you ever stopped to notice how many times Jesus talks about worship?
Jesus mentions worship twice. That's it.
You wouldn't think this is so in observing today's Body. There are many people, churches, entire movements that are ALL about worship. A lot of churches spend more than 50% of their time doing p&w.
Have you seen the t-shirt "It's all about worship"? I just did a Google search and apparently there is a song called "It's All in the Worship". I also found this little gem on a website last year: "Worship is at the center of this great spiritual war. It has always been over worship, fought with worship and will be won through worship."
Um, not really. Not according to Jesus.
I've lost count of the number of Music Ministers, pastors and everyday Christians who embrace the idea that we can (and should) "praise our way" out of troubles. This is such a ludicrous, retarded and shallow perception of life. Yet these same people are befuddled about the vastly increasing animosity toward Christianity.
Another classic example of people yakking their yak on God's behalf. An ear-tickling excuse for Christians to get lathered up and spend an exorbitant amount of time in self-absorbed pursuits instead of being about the things Jesus says to do. No wonder the bruised are leaving churches in record numbers.
Have you ever taken a look around at folks during p&w? The most common thing I see is people looking like they're in pain. When I see folks doing this I think "They're either in a lot of pain or they're constipated and trying really hard to pinch a loaf, right here instead of going to the bathroom".
If worship is such this great and heralded thing, why the looks of agony and constipation? If Jesus is indeed Emmanuel ("God inside"), then why do Christians talk about "entering God's presence"? If He's already within me, why the huge emphasis to go to a brick & mortar building to "experience God"?
A part of this is the Church's lemminghood in imitating society. Christianity is more about entertainment than it is the gospel. It has warmly embraced its own version of pop culture, complete with hierarchy, status, big names, who's hot, fads, "in" language, cliques, etc.
The Body is definitely into name-dropping and rock star-type icons (in music, authors, media personalities). Christian authors going on book tours, charging people to hear them speak and charging money to read their books.
If someone is given a morsel of God, why do they charge money to convey this message to others whose life might ripen in some way from hearing it? If someone is allowed to see a chamber of God's heart which is hidden to most, why demand money to gain access to this? Interesting how God gave them the nugget at no charge and yet they in turn charge money for others to hear it.
Another thing that some of these folks do is self-promote themselves
as gifted, prophetic, great teachers, etc. I think this is just pious as pious can be. Don't tell me how gifted you are. Just show up, and after hearing what you have to say I'll assess whether you're gifted, prophetic or otherwise.
I have a serious aversion to this name-dropping and man-promotion stuff. Whenever I come across anything good about God I simply say "I heard xyz", "I read abc" or "a friend of mine said jkl".
I don't mention names because imo what is important is what's said, not the person who says it. This foraging that we're doing among us and with God is not writing research papers in high school. Why not just talk about the savory things of God without all this source-citing and name-dropping? Why are Christians so fixated on mentioning how educated and well-read we are?
I personally don't see the need for any of this. I enjoy anonymity, and only refer to things I come across as "I heard x". I have no interest in participating in or contributing to the vast swelling of self-promotion. What's fundamentally important is not grandstanding. What is important is simply the message. A message that should not cost anything and should not be continually tainted with piss-stains of self-promotion.
There are a lot of prisoners, captives, broken and bruised all around us. Why don't we stop promoting ourselves and just concentrate on being good to them?
From what I can see in looking around (and let me know if you see different in your looking around) there are two pinnacle ends of Christianity: blessing (victory) and experiencing God (aka, entering/being-in God's presence).
These observations stem from billboards, marquees, radio and tv, websites, message boards, email, circulars, postings and overhearing Christians who purport to be "in" with God. If I know nothing about God I hone this view by observing the things people who allege to know Him do and say. How are these people living? What are they indicating is going on as a result of their (allegedly) being acquainted with Him?
And here is where something is horribly, horribly disastrous with Christianity.
The fact that almost the entire body of Jesus lives, prays, expects,
hopes, speaks and reasons as though blessing and presence are the goal of the Way is spawning all kinds of hell. This contributes to the root of extreme haughtiness so common among Christians, who think their "favor" with God translates into nonstop goodies and entitlement.It's a staple in the superficiality and callousness of the hearts of people who ironically claim to be warm, caring and loving. It's a factor in the severely warped view of Positive Christians, who live every breath of life erroneously thinking that God only wants good things to happen to people. (And that life consists solely of "finding the good [positive] in everything". What a warped perception of reality on this planet.)
It's a contributor to the spending of multi, multi, multi millions of dollars every year on things that God doesn't give a rat's ass about. And I think this could quite possibly be the saddest thing of all. People who allege to know what is important to God putting all kinds of over-the-top, gluttonous emphasis on things that aren't important to Him.
Jesus minces no words about people who purport to know God who are in actuality (and in Jesus' own words) "double sons of hell". Why don't we give more thought to Jesus bluntly saying that shrewd businessmen and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of those who perceive they are intimate with God?
I've got a friend who talks off and on about God yet is a huge critic and skeptic (and justifiably so) of Christianity. He put it really well recently when he said "These Christians actually think that God has nothing better to do than sit around thinking about how He can do things for them." I replied, "I know. Exactly." This friend, who has a casual knowledge of God, has a better understanding of Him than most Christians I come across.
The blessing/presence obsession is such an ear-tickling message. It gives Christians something to do to be busy, instead of being about doing the things Jesus says are the Way.
It's also an extremely self-absorbed paradigm. All these Christians wanting to do nothing but recline in their lazy chairs obsessing over how much God loves them. All the time.
I've lost count of how many times I've heard people say things like "Human beings are wired for worship", talking about how "awesome worship is" (in their church, their car, etc). Amidst this Feel-Good Gospel and P&W stuff, have you ever stopped to notice how many times Jesus talks about worship?
Jesus mentions worship twice. That's it.
You wouldn't think this is so in observing today's Body. There are many people, churches, entire movements that are ALL about worship. A lot of churches spend more than 50% of their time doing p&w.
Have you seen the t-shirt "It's all about worship"? I just did a Google search and apparently there is a song called "It's All in the Worship". I also found this little gem on a website last year: "Worship is at the center of this great spiritual war. It has always been over worship, fought with worship and will be won through worship."
Um, not really. Not according to Jesus.
I've lost count of the number of Music Ministers, pastors and everyday Christians who embrace the idea that we can (and should) "praise our way" out of troubles. This is such a ludicrous, retarded and shallow perception of life. Yet these same people are befuddled about the vastly increasing animosity toward Christianity.
Another classic example of people yakking their yak on God's behalf. An ear-tickling excuse for Christians to get lathered up and spend an exorbitant amount of time in self-absorbed pursuits instead of being about the things Jesus says to do. No wonder the bruised are leaving churches in record numbers.
Have you ever taken a look around at folks during p&w? The most common thing I see is people looking like they're in pain. When I see folks doing this I think "They're either in a lot of pain or they're constipated and trying really hard to pinch a loaf, right here instead of going to the bathroom".
If worship is such this great and heralded thing, why the looks of agony and constipation? If Jesus is indeed Emmanuel ("God inside"), then why do Christians talk about "entering God's presence"? If He's already within me, why the huge emphasis to go to a brick & mortar building to "experience God"?
A part of this is the Church's lemminghood in imitating society. Christianity is more about entertainment than it is the gospel. It has warmly embraced its own version of pop culture, complete with hierarchy, status, big names, who's hot, fads, "in" language, cliques, etc.
The Body is definitely into name-dropping and rock star-type icons (in music, authors, media personalities). Christian authors going on book tours, charging people to hear them speak and charging money to read their books.
If someone is given a morsel of God, why do they charge money to convey this message to others whose life might ripen in some way from hearing it? If someone is allowed to see a chamber of God's heart which is hidden to most, why demand money to gain access to this? Interesting how God gave them the nugget at no charge and yet they in turn charge money for others to hear it.
Another thing that some of these folks do is self-promote themselves
as gifted, prophetic, great teachers, etc. I think this is just pious as pious can be. Don't tell me how gifted you are. Just show up, and after hearing what you have to say I'll assess whether you're gifted, prophetic or otherwise. I have a serious aversion to this name-dropping and man-promotion stuff. Whenever I come across anything good about God I simply say "I heard xyz", "I read abc" or "a friend of mine said jkl".
I don't mention names because imo what is important is what's said, not the person who says it. This foraging that we're doing among us and with God is not writing research papers in high school. Why not just talk about the savory things of God without all this source-citing and name-dropping? Why are Christians so fixated on mentioning how educated and well-read we are?
I personally don't see the need for any of this. I enjoy anonymity, and only refer to things I come across as "I heard x". I have no interest in participating in or contributing to the vast swelling of self-promotion. What's fundamentally important is not grandstanding. What is important is simply the message. A message that should not cost anything and should not be continually tainted with piss-stains of self-promotion.
There are a lot of prisoners, captives, broken and bruised all around us. Why don't we stop promoting ourselves and just concentrate on being good to them?
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