The Way

I am just sick!

After stewing for days, over the insult handed an acquaintance back home on Mother's Day, I am at my wits end with religion!
So many masquerading as Christian, and yet virtually none reflect even the slightest essence of the Gospel!
We really need to start over!

Only one characteristic stood the Christian apart from anyone else in the Roman Empire, love.
A complete lack of self interest!, because people understood that God had changed them internally.
And that was costly love.
You stood to lose your family, your income, your friends by coming to Jesus for forgiveness.
They were slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands!

This early church was called The Way.
You came to understand your fallen nature.
You came to understand what real life was.
You came to understand that nothing of this world matters in the slightest, save for people.
And their relationship with God, at that!

The hatred shown my past acquaintance, shows just how far a once solid church can slide.
Is does not matter whom can stand on Mother's Day, or not.
But in asking one not to stand means they are not the same as others.
It means putting yourself before others.
It means you are special and no one else is.
Welcome to George Orwells,Animal Farm!
Where: all animals are equal,
Only some are more equal than others .....

That is why God is no longer to be found there.
Indeed, this is type of situation is true of most churches!
Jesus died for me, not you.
God blesses me, not you.
To bad for you ...

Sounds bad, but that is what these people are saying by their behavior!

So we need a new return to The Way.
The loving church where we are family and not strangers to one another.
The family where self sacrifice and improvement are the goal.
I am envious of that environment.

I experienced that type of community twice.
My life with the Hutterite's showed me all of this,
Were it not for their non-Biblical beliefs, I would still be 'plain'.
And the Jesus People Movement.
Good times.

if people are involved, and push God out,
 He will leave and we will be left to create our own mess.
Yet, He still stands by the side, watching and I imagine grieving.
He sacrificed so much, for so long, so that we can insult our members by telling them they are not good enough to be recognized for being a parent!
As if the 'haters' are 'good enough' !

Such a smack down these people are in for, from God, if not one else .....

And yet, they are completely able to repent and look to God and not themselves.
Will they?
Maybe, if we are willing to pray for their hardness of heart to be broken ...

And ours as well.