Feel It
Yesterday my daughter Elizabeth was playing and was happy and wonderful. Then something happened and the pretty bracelet she was wearing broke. Oh the tears. I tried everything to console her. But the sobbing continued. It got a bit frustrating but I admired her. Her longing for beauty and perfection. And it does stink that cute bracelets have to get broken in our world. Satan is a big bully, breaking little girl’s bracelets for no reason.
In the evening I was playing some tunes on my radio a bit loud and Elizabeth came down to join me. I started dancing with her. She wouldn’t let me stop. We danced for three songs when she was called away to bed. “Can we play music and dance again tomorrow daddy?” Oh man, melting my heart even now.
It’s a temptation to squash kids, tell them not to get so upset, don’t get too excited, I might not be able to dance tomorrow. But my daughter longs for perfection and for eternity. She shows it so clearly. I love that.
It seems as if the Church tries its hardest to squash people. Don’t have too much fun. Don’t get angry. Don’t get upset. Don’t laugh. Don’t cry. Don’t play loud music, unless it’s in the Spirit of course.
We squash believers and then tell them to go out and attract people for Christ. Right. How’s that work now? The world won’t listen to people who are more squashed than they are. C. S. Lewis said, “We castrate the gelding and then bid him be fruitful.” That’s the Church. That’s why it’s so ineffective and that’s why no one comes.
In the evening I was playing some tunes on my radio a bit loud and Elizabeth came down to join me. I started dancing with her. She wouldn’t let me stop. We danced for three songs when she was called away to bed. “Can we play music and dance again tomorrow daddy?” Oh man, melting my heart even now.
It’s a temptation to squash kids, tell them not to get so upset, don’t get too excited, I might not be able to dance tomorrow. But my daughter longs for perfection and for eternity. She shows it so clearly. I love that.
It seems as if the Church tries its hardest to squash people. Don’t have too much fun. Don’t get angry. Don’t get upset. Don’t laugh. Don’t cry. Don’t play loud music, unless it’s in the Spirit of course.
We squash believers and then tell them to go out and attract people for Christ. Right. How’s that work now? The world won’t listen to people who are more squashed than they are. C. S. Lewis said, “We castrate the gelding and then bid him be fruitful.” That’s the Church. That’s why it’s so ineffective and that’s why no one comes.
posted by jeff at
9:50 AM
5 Comments:
Sad, but true. I've been to too many churches that try to squeeze its members to fit its particular mold. Some innovative churches (usually mega-)try to move people into areas of service according to "gifting," which is simply a way of squeezing them into even smaller boxes while alienating the "ungifted," resulting in a church run by "professionals."
cool blog.
The warping of spiritual gifts bothers me as well. The only way you know what ones you have is by doing them. To go by what people "think" there gift is rarely works out well for anyone. But, as you say, most needs are taken care of by the pros so who really needs to use gifts?
Ouch. I posted a long quote from your post at my blog this morning. Peace.
Nice post, I've linked it.
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