okay, soooo...

the church i go to is having vacation bible school this week. vbs used to be my favorite thing to do in the summer when i was a kid--we got to see people we normally didn't, and craft time was always full of surprises, lol. it was also really laid back, we just had "class", went to crafts (we did one project that lasted the whole week), then finally eating time.  

not anymore though .

everything is about order--walkie talkies, checksheets, registration, yada yada yada. it isn't a very big shurch either, so i don't really understand the registration part, lol. it asks for your parents phone numbers and stuff, but most of the people there probably know your parents anyway. basically, everything is really uptight now, no one is really having a great time anymore. vbs used to be the epitome of summer for all the kids in the neighborhood (really!), but now it's all about...organization. there's nothing wrong with having order or anything, but the kids are just trudging around as if it's jail.

*sigh*

-bliss

im tired of it.

it's natural for mainstream--anything--to get ripped apart at some point or another, and usually gradually, but quite frankly i've got to say (and ONLY here) that im getting annoyed with bubblegum christianity (or commercialized, shrink-wrapped, ect...).

yes, i realize that other belief systems and/or religions are becoming more acceptable in our traditionally conservative nation, but at the same time the essence of christianity is being dragged through the mud. half-hearted, hypocrisy-loving "followers" are making it nearly detrimental for by the book (ahem, Word of God) followers of Jesus to spread our message.

(Before I go any further, I simply want to express that I am [usually] without a shadow of a doubt confident in my salvation. Yes, I may question myself from time to time, but it's both a human flaw and my personality clashing with what I know in my heart. I am a woman who does not want to break God's heart, or anyone else's for that matter. I do falter and succomb to thing's contrary to the will of God, but you can best believe that when the day is over and done with I am hurting on the inside. I do not wish to smack folks over the head with what I believe--God doesn't need any help, He's GOD for crying out loud!)

okay, with that out of the way...i am a journalist, though still a student. yeah, i report and stuff and all that jazz, but that's not important. anyhoo, as a journalist, my instincts are to go against the grain in everything i do. if i am to cover a general news and/or popular story, i will try my darndest not to interview the same people my counterparts do, if possible, for the simple reason that what's popular usually gets tired pretty quickly. even worse, what's popular can get kinda fuzzy or diluted. i apply this same way of thinking to how i feel about MAINSTREAM christianity today:

the kind with books and seminars for sale when we have the Word of God, conferences and "how to worship God effectively!!!" workshops. the kind with money squandering ministers, youth clubs groups, and praise teams with emphasis on sound and not lyrics. i tend to shy away from anything modeled after mainstream christianity because i realized, the hard way, that not being careful can lead me to following after things God has not intended for me to.

my desire is for folk who profess to have accepted Jesus as their Savior AND Lord to stand up and speak out about how half-hearted believers are hindering our cause. i want them to know that even the adversaries of God know that Jesus rose from the dead, which means that simply knowing isn't what saves and regenerates you!

mainstream christianity: taking part of the cause with knowlege of Jesus but not making it personal; having John 3:16 memorized and ready to beat an unsuspecting Hindu/Muslim/Athiest/Buddhist...ect, over the head with.

the christianity Jesus authored: living a life anew, and accepting Him personally, realizing that our actions grieve the Holy Spirit if done in a way contrary to the Word of God. it is humbling yourself, spreading the good news that is the gospel, and keeping the ultimate goal of not wanting to break God's heart the main goal of your life.

-bliss

p.s. my intent for this is not to sound self-righteous...it hurts me to hear or read the accounts of those who have been turned off to the love Jesus has to offer because one of His followers (supposed or otherwise) have forgotten they've made a commitment.