30 Pieces of Silver
I was browsing a Christian book store when I came upon the description for the “Faithgirlz Backpack”. It read:
“This cute and colourful girl’s backpack features pretty printed flowers, a front pocket to fit your FAITHGIRLZ BACKPACK BIBLE, adjustable back straps and a handy loop for hanging! 24cm.”
When I read this my heart sank. Is this what western Christianity is all about? Pretty flowers printed on some girl’s bag. Is this what Christ died for? Who’s idea was it that commercialisation would advance the kingdom of God? Unfortunately, this is a typical example of what I see in the Church. Like Judas, we have sold out Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
Does more of the money you give go towards a church building than the poor? If it does, you may be suffering from Commerciallity. That’s replacing the “Christ” in Christianity with Commercialism. Our Churches are run like businesses; concern isn’t so much for reaching the lost as it is for entertaining the found. Pastors wear designer clothes and drive flashy cars, worship bands play in fancy light shows and on big plasma screens, our sermons give us just a big enough dose of Christianity for the week to keep us coming back. Religion is a commodity; it is part of the entertainment sector.
It is a joke to think that a Sunday Service could ever cater for the spiritual growth of a Church’s congregation. If you think carefully about a service you will find that it is a convenient means of distributing a small amount of spirituality over a large group of people quickly. We give them their dose of worship, we give them their dose of grape juice, and we give them their dose of teaching. They then leave the building and forget everything, live their lives like they did last week, come back to Church next Sunday, pay some tithes, and feel very holy for doing so.
I cannot live my life that way. The western church (organisation) is amongst the shallowest, most sold out institutions I have ever seen. I want to live every minute of every day worshiping, learning, and having communion with other believers. A small dose doesn’t do it for me. I’m interested in glorifying God by changing my life, by reaching the lost, and by loving the unloved. I will not sell out Christ for something easier.
Is it any wonder that you can’t get Christians to evangelise? You can’t get them to give money, you can’t get them to volunteer, you can’t get them to love the unlovable, you can’t get them to stop habitual sin, and you can’t get them to be honest with each other. Christianity is easy, God’s way is hard.
I’m furious at this mutilation of the faith. I’m shattered by Christians chained to the pews they pay their tithes for. I’m disgusted by people buying Faithgirlz backpacks and thinking their daughter is so cute in the name of God. Christianity is not “cute”.
When was the last time you went out of your way to show love to someone who has never felt it before? When was the last time you were desperate enough to glorify God that you revealed your deepest, darkest sin to someone? When was the last time you committed yourself to walking beside a fellow believer in their faith? Think carefully about these things. Is your Christianity active or is it passive? Is it easy or hard?
Don’t sell out Christ for a counterfeit.
It is awesome to read about your desire for God. It is true that certain Christians are commercializing it. However, I would be careful to generalize all Christian in this manner. I know many sold out and passionate followers of Jesus.
That feed is doing some craziness…my site is http://timpaulsen.blogpsot.com not some Christian megacenter
I also know many passionate Christians, if it wasn’t for them I may not be as passionate myself. Unfortuanetly, they seem few and far between. If this post doesn’t challenge you, then I guess you can think of it as a reminder.
That link is still going to a mega center.
wow! thank you so much for the encouragement.
It is true that the biggest threat against Christianity are “Christians” themselves.
There are many Christians who are doing the right thing, and yet there are also many who just miss the point altogether, and that ruins it for everyone.
Ths ones that get the attention of the media are the one doing wrong, and the ones doing right are seldom, if ever, reported. Then, again, I remember the “Jesus Freaks” of the 60′s and 70′s, and how obnoxious I thought they were. How the Lord has led me to change my way of looking at Him is awe-inspiring. The message to all of us has been and always will be, “Go forth and teach the nations . . .”
“The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.” [Brennan Manning]
I love God and am passionate for him. But really I am nothing like him. I don’t feed the hungry or use my money to help people who are in need. If Jesus saw a homeless guy or someone else in society who wasn’t accepted he would take the time to talk with that person. Thing is I don’t. “Become like me” Jesus said, through his messages and through his actions. When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples he told them that this is the example for you, serve one another.