Jesus is not putting into your retirement...

I have been reading a blog that I really respect lately that have been talking a lot about "the church", and how we need to change things and asking good questions on what that means and looks like.

I was reading the comments of the latest blog and found my self getting very frustrated. I have found that over the last 4 years or so I have become "tired" of church.... not the people as believers, but the institution.

If I was to be honest I don't go to church to hear from God i go to make Christian friends. Now there have been two churchs in my life that I have LOVED going to to learn.. Rock Harbor and Rob Bells church Mars Hill which I listen to on podcast. The sad thing is thats all I get from those church... no really community.

Is it possible to find a church that is both? The community and place of spiritual growth.... which were core to the Early Church. ??? I'm sure it is, I'm sure they exist. But that is no longer my real beef with the church. I've learned to get what I can out of the community and the lessons, while also listening to my podcasts =) My real beef now is "other peoples problems with the church" and how they are going about trying to blame it on the pastors, the system, the way that things were/ or could be done... maybe we need more videos, more candles, less speace- more initmate, more space- more room to grow.... They are looking to these things to "enhance" the Church... it makes me so frustrated... why are we so concerned about the "institution" and not as concerned about getting out into the world and loving people right! Pouring our lives out and into others.?

Really I should say I get sad, more then frustrated with the people in the church now days... A life of service, joy, brokenness, sacrifice, it's a life they don't want... or only in small doses when convenient for them.

Its like they beleive if they show up enough to church, and "live right:... which really is just "living as a good person and playing it safe"... that Jesus will pay into their retirement. The more they feel secure about how their future will go...

I've said it before, and I'll say it again= ALL THE DISCIPLES WERE KILLED. Hundreds and thousands of Christians have been killed... and ARE being killed now!

My therory is that American Christians are so concerned about the "end times" ( hit books, movies, bible studies) , b/c they are afraid to lose their "comfortable" lives, and dread the day when the "end times will begin"... Look around the world! People are dying, in extreme proverty, being killed, starving... in desperate need of love and care ... they don't care about the "future rapture", becasue they are concered with today and maybe tomorrow... They NEED JESUS NOW! not in some distant time when he will take them away... They live in a reality that wont let them pretend that Jesus is putting into their retirement... hell they don't even know what that word means..

I'm not saying we are living in the end times or anything like that- what I'm saying is WHO CARES. GOD is God and when he comes he will make all things NEW, heaven and earth! I trust him. I trust he has made me with purpose and IF the end times came in my life that I have a point, a job, and purpose STILL... and it's not to hide somewhere and protect my "retirement." .. Let us live NOW , let us serve now and sacrifice all NOW b/c most of the world is already living in space that is as "dark" as our "American hearts fear the end times"...