Talking about spiritual matters is so important and it is easy to feel lonely when the only thing congregants want to talk about is sports or the weather.
This is powerful stuff Scott. I was raised Baptist, like very Baptist. My mom played the piano so I had to be there whenever there was a piano which was a minimum 3 times a week every week. Still had to go to children's choir after I got kicked out for saying what I thought about the director's grandson. Grandpa was a deacon and the custodian. Grandma still is a Sunday School teacher. My grandma's motto is still, 'I don't care what the pastor says. I'll still be here when he is gone.' but mine is, 'If you can't be real and either want to hear or say some Good News my time is too valuable to waste on you.'
Once I was on my own I sort of went all over, looking for authenticity, looking for people who actually cared, looking for someone more interested in the Gospel than the Braves. I'm not sure when I officially stopped being a Baptist, but by the time I got my babies baptised I'm pretty sure they would revoke my 'letter' if any of that actually means anything to anybody anymore.
To me, there is something wrong in our definitions. We have defined the Gospel in such a way that it is only for unbelievers. It is something that you hear until you 'get it' and then after that church is either a place to get to work for the kingdom or to talk about the ball game. And let's be honest, most of us are not in such a place that doing free labor is a joy, particularly the kind that you have to do with a big smile on your face the whole time. Which leaves us as failures. But we can't admit that we are failures because for us the Gospel is in the past tense and their is no hope if we fail again.
Long story short we are choking each other to death. We need the freedom to fail. The freedom to be grouchy or scared or sad. We have had an absolute shitshow this summer( https://comfortwithtruth.substack.com/p/summer-of-suck-happy-anniversary ) and whenever something else happens I just look at Chey and say, 'Too blessed to be stressed.' and she just laughs. Because the whole thing, the mess that American Christians have made out of Christianity, is such a hole, such a Pit of Eternal Stench that you can't help but either laugh or cry.
You are not alone, Scott. The suckiness is real and it sucks.
That is why I do what I do...
Amen brother and you do it well.
Talking about spiritual matters is so important and it is easy to feel lonely when the only thing congregants want to talk about is sports or the weather.
So did the Braves win last night?
Who are the Braves? LOL
Watch it!
This is powerful stuff Scott. I was raised Baptist, like very Baptist. My mom played the piano so I had to be there whenever there was a piano which was a minimum 3 times a week every week. Still had to go to children's choir after I got kicked out for saying what I thought about the director's grandson. Grandpa was a deacon and the custodian. Grandma still is a Sunday School teacher. My grandma's motto is still, 'I don't care what the pastor says. I'll still be here when he is gone.' but mine is, 'If you can't be real and either want to hear or say some Good News my time is too valuable to waste on you.'
Once I was on my own I sort of went all over, looking for authenticity, looking for people who actually cared, looking for someone more interested in the Gospel than the Braves. I'm not sure when I officially stopped being a Baptist, but by the time I got my babies baptised I'm pretty sure they would revoke my 'letter' if any of that actually means anything to anybody anymore.
To me, there is something wrong in our definitions. We have defined the Gospel in such a way that it is only for unbelievers. It is something that you hear until you 'get it' and then after that church is either a place to get to work for the kingdom or to talk about the ball game. And let's be honest, most of us are not in such a place that doing free labor is a joy, particularly the kind that you have to do with a big smile on your face the whole time. Which leaves us as failures. But we can't admit that we are failures because for us the Gospel is in the past tense and their is no hope if we fail again.
Long story short we are choking each other to death. We need the freedom to fail. The freedom to be grouchy or scared or sad. We have had an absolute shitshow this summer( https://comfortwithtruth.substack.com/p/summer-of-suck-happy-anniversary ) and whenever something else happens I just look at Chey and say, 'Too blessed to be stressed.' and she just laughs. Because the whole thing, the mess that American Christians have made out of Christianity, is such a hole, such a Pit of Eternal Stench that you can't help but either laugh or cry.
You are not alone, Scott. The suckiness is real and it sucks.