Don't be so weird!

Image source: aquaportail.com

I saw a video from an online Washington Post article tonight that saddened me.  A comic named John Oliver bludgeoned televangelists and "faith preachers" with his sarcasm and a dose of reality.  This "faith message" he mocks is one I grew up with, but on some of his points I actually agree with him.  He genuinely portrays the way our message appears to "outsiders."

Full disclosure: I do believe in God's ability and willingness to heal and bless us.  But I don't think we've done a very good job of sharing God's heart.  While there is much truth to what some ministers are teaching, their message often gets lost in the bizarre (and sometimes manipulative) ways they choose to share it.

I'm attaching the link for those that wish to watch it.  BE WARNED: This video contains very strong language and brutal sarcasm.  If you are easily offended, please don't watch it!!!!!  And don't hold me accountable for wrecking your perfect little Christian world.  I believe we need to understand what the world around us truly thinks about Christianity in order to engage it.  If you choose to watch the video, please read the rest of this article first...

Dear Church Diva...

Image source: jamiebrownmusic.files.wordpress.com

I was reminded today of a bad experience I had while visiting a church a few months ago.  And probably because I didn't get enough sleep last night, I felt compelled to write this.  I do have a favor to ask of my readers: Please don't passive-aggressively post this on someone else's wall in the hopes that they will read it and change.  That's not the point.  If you want someone in your circle of relationships to read it, the best way to accomplish this without being rude it to share it on YOUR Facebook page.

After visiting a church recently I have some advice for the "Church Diva" that sat behind me.  You know the type... they want everyone to notice them, whether it's because of their clothes, their actions or their attitude.  Well this guy must have thought the Sunday morning service was his chance to audition for American Idol, and that I was one of the judges.  Now God has blessed me with a powerful set of lungs (read: I'm loud), but I almost couldn't hear myself sing over the sound of his voice.  To be fair, he did have a decent voice.  But to be honest, I don't think anyone around him was as impressed with his voice as he was.

Facing Reality

Image source: adoptanegotiator.org

Reality - what a painful word for leaders.  It refers to the status quo we live in.  It speaks of the circumstances we are currently experiencing - the inconvenient truth we probably aren't happy with.

A good friend of mine worked at a large church in the Midwest a number of years ago.  This church had been plateaued for awhile, and was starting to head into decline.  So they made a smart decision: they brought in an outside church consultant.  This brings in a fresh set of eyes and removes the emotion from decision-making.  A consultant has nothing to lose by being honest.  He/she can talk about "the elephant in the room" without fear of consequences.

This church hired a very well-known church consultant to identify problem areas so they could make the appropriate adjustments.  They paid a good sum of money for him to analyze everything they did and define their current reality.