Real Lives

While I was sitting in church last week I was struck by a group of teenage boys who arrived to worship a little late and came in and walk to the front to sit down. They were in baggy jeans, t-shirt, longish hair, some strange jewelry, what some may call rough looking. The cool thing was they didn't get any second looks, you know those looks that say "what are you doing here looking like that?" They walked to the front sat down.

During a recent discussion of church culture I was struck by a statement. I cannot remember who the article was written by, sorry. But the line was "we have fallen in love with the church culture we have created".
As I read the new testament I am reminded at how marginal Jesus was, he did not look anything like the religious people of the day, so different in fact they did not recognize Him as the Messiah. The religious leaders of the day were strongly rebuked by Jesus and all they stood for was condemned. He called them whitewashed tombs. As I look at church culture of our day I am reminded of Jesus' warning.
We have decided what church should look, what a Christian should look like and anything or anyone that does not fit the mold, we reject [as Jesus was rejected.] We have become more concerned with the outward than the inward. We have made the outward the spiritual meter of ones life.
I wonder, well actually I don't, I am ashamed at how many people are kept away from community with God and His people because they are not as we have deemed appropriate or acceptable. We have made coming to Jesus all about conforming and becoming like "us". Dressing, talking and acting like "us". We are unwilling to allow people to come as they are and be who they are. Jesus simply said "go and sin no more" We say, sin no more and NOW you must .........We make appearance and behavior a meter for spiritually.

People are different and how they will come to and respond to God will be different. Why can we not be a people that simple be conduit of God's love. Provide a place where people can find God's love, mercy and acceptance not judgment.
I can't help but think of several young men in my own family who are not church goers, where the rest of our family is, but all of these men are "different", have taken their own path in life, that is considered off the moral path. They were the ones that "outwardly" bucked the norm. They dressed different and acted different. Their lives have led them to making choices that have altered their lives in a less than positive way. But I have to wonder if they were accepted for who they are and allowed to walk a journey with God that was their own, if things could be different. That they would find peace and relationship with God. Them and so many others!

The culture we have created is not the spiritual community that Jesus taught, but more of a country club. We develop programs and events that will attract others just like us, others that look, act and talk the language we do, so we can continue to feel comfortable and safe. We mostly are just church juggling, trying to be the best ______church in town (add any group you want).

The only way to be a community that will be a healing vessel is if we are willing to live real lives before others. Stop pretending that our own sin is less damaging than someone elses, to reveal our own struggles and let other see that we are ALL less than we should and need to be. We have to drop the masks, and let the ugliness of our own lives show. Stop pretending we have it all together and figured out.

I want to be real, honest, to be among those who understand the struggles of life and are open to live among them. Christianity is messy, uncomfortable and real.

Lord, Let us live real lives, so that others can too!