A lot on my heart

I want to give my kids the kind of foundation in church that I was given but sadly I can't get past my own hang ups with church. No matter where I go, I see them. I'm reminded time and time again that I don't go to church for the people. I'm also reminded that one can meet God anywhere, like here at my desk this morning.

Church should be used as a source of fellowship with like minded people battling the similar issues so that you can lean on them like Bubba Gump to keep each other out of the mud. Sadly, most don't want to share those issues because they are embarrassing so instead they choose to use church as a social setting finding the gossip of peoples' prayer request to make themselves feel better about their own circumnstances. Since they choose to stay away from social settings to "avoid the devil" they bring him to church but coveting the Jones' new Toureg or Navigator and buying one themselves-only to put themselves more in debt. Unable to put food on their table because of their debt, they turn to the church-never seeing their faults or flaws.

As a pastor in Iowa so put it, "I think far too many people, like my husband, don't lose their faith, but their traditions lose them. Church people can be too brash, they can be too forceful and judgmental; they can be too close-minded and far too empty of grace.

And some people just can't stand the hypocrisy. Some people just can't stand being constantly judged for something they can't control. Some people have too many questions and don't think they can ask them. So they leave. Or rather, they are left behind."

I can find these things, these people on the street, people. I can find God anywhere I go. I can see the good in people other than just people that go to church-the ones that many churches cast away simply because they don't take the time to look past their ungodly deeds.

A lady in church said of me "I hope her sister doesn't screw up her life the way she did". One said "they shouldn't be allowed to marry in the church". Another said "How could she be so stupid." All of this was said simply because I got pregnant before I was married....even though their children had sex out of marriage before me.

For once perhaps the people of the church should look into their hearts at their ungodly deeds and realize that instead of ministering they are pushing people away.

Why do you go to church?

I ask of you to think about who Jesus associated with. Who Jesus ministered to?

I want my children to use the church as a place of worship, to revere it as a place the God comes to when people cry out to Him. But I also want them to know that God is everywhere...God should be worshipped everywhere and in everything we do. I don't want them to be pushed away by knowing how the people in the church act when someone stumbles or falls because if I'm teaching them that every sin is equal in God's eyes....then we all need to take a step back and fall on our knees before Him.

I'm going to try a little harder to look at everyone through God's eyes, including the church....but it would be nice if the church would return the favor.