Fighting for what's really important!

I've been getting a litte frustrated of late at petty arguments and excuses within the church. Now, let me just clear up that I enjoy being a part of my 'church', if that's the right word...although my view is changing and I dont really like to use that word for the Sunday meeting...I think that church can be anywhere...it's not about what we do on a Sunday morning...it's about what we, as the body of believers (which, by the way, IS the church), do every day of the week...anywhere you are you can make church happen...but for the purpose of this blog I will still use the word 'church' because it's what we've always used to talk about that place we go on a Sunday and maybe on occassion during the week...so anyway...lets not get too side-tracked...

My biggest frustration of late is that we've lost sight of what we're doing here...what our purpose and mission is...what's really important! We're no longer focussing on the important stuff, we're talking instead about 'How do I make 'church' work so that I can enjoy it?'...instead of asking 'What can I give God today and who can I reach out to today?' There are so many things that we've turned into our idols. For the older generation and even many of the young people in my particular denomination, the brass band is their idol. I read a comment just yesterday where someone was bold enough to say 'We've always had the brass band in the Salvos...take them away and what have we got?' What a question!! I read that and was SO shocked! I gotta tell ya, we're NOT the brass band! If that's all there is to the Salvos then lets throw the towel in now and stop while we still can! If that's the only reason we come to church then we're better off not going at all!!

Then there are those who complain tirelessly about the fact that they want to come to church and hear more modern music. PEOPLE!! WAKE UP!! I'm tired of these petty arguments going round in circles...let me say one more time..WORSHIP IS NOT A MUSIC STYLE!! IT'S A LIFE STYLE!! If all you think about on a Sunday or during the week is how much you dislike the brass or contemporary band then you're not really doing church...you're here for a music show...in which case I believe that channel 10 has video hits on a Sunday morning and you may as well stay home and watch that...or sit on your front porch and listen to the radio or your fave CD.

I'm not going to apologise for being too harsh or straight to the point...it needs to be said...I tell you what, if Jesus walked into our church today (by the way, He IS in our church today) then I think instead of turning tables He'd be unplugging our mics, kicking the drum kit and trashing the brass band chairs and music stands and saying 'WHY ARE YOU WORSHIPPING MUSIC?!?!?!?!' I'm over it...come on...you all know the song 'Heart of worship'...you've sung it a million times...it's been done by the contemporary bands and in our church the brass band even has an arrangement...but STILL no one gets the message...

'I'm coming back to the HEART OF WORSHIP and it's ALL ABOUT YOU...its all about YOU JESUS!!'

Is it? Is it really about Him? Are you arguing about music and bands and styles and traditions and what should be in and out because you're worried that it's not bringing glory to God...?? Or are you arguing about it to try to satisfy your own wants and desires and what you want to hear on a Sunday?

I hear people say that new people won't come if we have boring music...I'm sorry but I think thats ABSOLUTE RUBBISH!! Do you know why I think people dont come, or if they do come, why they don't come back? Because we suck at relationships! We're so busy arguing and trying to have things our own way that we forget to follow someone up...we don't bother to invite them to a small group where the most impact and growth happens...we close the door on our cell groups and say 'Sorry we're full'...we get so involved in our clicky groups that we don't have time to welcome a stranger...we go out and play in the community and we have 'supporters' come from the church, but do they talk to people or do they set up their chair and just watch the 'show'? People don't walk out of our churches thinking 'Gee, that music sucked' ...they walk out thinking 'That was awkward cause I didn't know anyone and no one came and talked to me!'

I dont want you to write back to this blog...I dont want any of your comments...what I want you to do is to get down on your knees, turn off your so called 'worship' music and repent...ask God to change your attitude...as I so often have to ask Him to change mine...I'm most certainly NOT expempt from this...start doing church the way that Jesus did it...meet people...don't wait for the church pews to fill up...stop warming your pew, it's warm enough...get up and really do church...meet people and give them the message that's going to change their life forever! Stop getting into petty arguments about what music or style is appropriate...and also about what church is better...that's stupid and we're not here to rip our brothers and sisters in Christ down because they have different ideas and styles or because it scares you that their church has 3000 instead of 300...start focussing on the reason we're here...and if you're not here for that reason then you need to re-evaluate what you're doing in the brass band, the ensemble, or even your Salvo uniform...or whatever the equivelant is in whatever church you're from...Are you more committed to the Salvos or your denomination than you are to God? Remember that the your 'church' was inspired by God but put together by man...don't make it your idol...the only one you should be worshipping is GOD and Him ALONE! Don't get caught up in religion and all the stupid rituals that God would rather throw out the window if it meant you'd focus on Him more...that's the reason people are scared to come...hypocricy, strict rules, clicky groups, uniforms, styles...they're all barriers that we're putting up between God and the unsaved!! We, the church, the body of believers, are creating barriers for people who don't know Jesus!! It's time to pull our socks up and get real...break down the barriers and ask God 'What can I give you today...and who can I reach for you!'