The church ineffective?
JP says he likes short blogs so bro' this one is for you...Hopefully.
I was hanging with a pastor/friend who has started a church down in Washington Shores. This is arguably the worst part of Orlando. High crime rate, drug use, poverty, etc. We were driving down the road and what struck me was the amount of church houses in the area. It was a Monday morning so the vast majority were empty, the church wasn't present. Most were old and looked like they had been there a while, they fit the neighborhood. However, others looked pretty new, shiny and clean, well groomed if you know what I mean.. They didn't seem to fit the hood at all. They weren't wearing the right clothes. Some of these buildings were literally right next to each other they could have shared the same parking lot and maybe they did and I just didn't notice. One had a security gate all the way around it. I guess to keep the unwanted out?? There is even a mega-church in the area, the largest Baptist church in Orlando and possibly the largest church in Orlando. There were numerous different denominations; AME, Baptist, Missionary Baptist, Free Methodist, Presbyterian and many more nondenoms or at least denoms that I had never heard of. I wouldn't be surprised if there was even a church or two meeting in homes. I would not be a bit surprised if there are 100 churches located in this 3-4 sq. Mile area...really.
So with all these churches why does the culture seem so unaffected, still so dark and hopeless?
Mar 3:25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
Joh 17:20 My prayer is not for them only, but for all who will have faith in me through their word;
Joh 17:21 May they all be one! Even as you, Father, are in me and I am in you, so let them be in us, so that all men may come to have faith that you sent me.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which you have given to me I have given to them, so that they may be one even as we are one;
1Co 1:11 Because it has come to my knowledge, through those of the house of Chloe, that there are divisions among you, my brothers.
1Co 1:12 That is, that some of you say, I am of Paul; some say, I am of Apollos; some say, I am of Cephas; and some say, I am Christ's.
1Co 1:13 Is there a division in Christ? was Paul nailed to the cross for you? or were you given baptism in the name of Paul?
more later
I was hanging with a pastor/friend who has started a church down in Washington Shores. This is arguably the worst part of Orlando. High crime rate, drug use, poverty, etc. We were driving down the road and what struck me was the amount of church houses in the area. It was a Monday morning so the vast majority were empty, the church wasn't present. Most were old and looked like they had been there a while, they fit the neighborhood. However, others looked pretty new, shiny and clean, well groomed if you know what I mean.. They didn't seem to fit the hood at all. They weren't wearing the right clothes. Some of these buildings were literally right next to each other they could have shared the same parking lot and maybe they did and I just didn't notice. One had a security gate all the way around it. I guess to keep the unwanted out?? There is even a mega-church in the area, the largest Baptist church in Orlando and possibly the largest church in Orlando. There were numerous different denominations; AME, Baptist, Missionary Baptist, Free Methodist, Presbyterian and many more nondenoms or at least denoms that I had never heard of. I wouldn't be surprised if there was even a church or two meeting in homes. I would not be a bit surprised if there are 100 churches located in this 3-4 sq. Mile area...really.
So with all these churches why does the culture seem so unaffected, still so dark and hopeless?
Mar 3:25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.
Joh 17:20 My prayer is not for them only, but for all who will have faith in me through their word;
Joh 17:21 May they all be one! Even as you, Father, are in me and I am in you, so let them be in us, so that all men may come to have faith that you sent me.
Joh 17:22 And the glory which you have given to me I have given to them, so that they may be one even as we are one;
1Co 1:11 Because it has come to my knowledge, through those of the house of Chloe, that there are divisions among you, my brothers.
1Co 1:12 That is, that some of you say, I am of Paul; some say, I am of Apollos; some say, I am of Cephas; and some say, I am Christ's.
1Co 1:13 Is there a division in Christ? was Paul nailed to the cross for you? or were you given baptism in the name of Paul?
more later
posted by Mike Rea at 10:23 PM
4 Comments:
honestly, i find your blog offensive. how can you be critical? i mean, this is such judgmentalism that i am shocked.
how can you attack and criticize your fellow christians like this, on the internet! you should be ashamed.
if people like you don't get a handle on your bitterness and complaining, there's gonna be trouble.
all our security will go out the window, as those among us with spiritual hunger desperately cry out to jesus to move and send us to the poor, where we should have been all along.
there will be mass liquidations of our assets as we count the cost of the Gospel and invest our wealth like Luke 16 says to...
our home lives will brim with the chaos of radical hospitality
our children will be exposed to the messiness and dangerous risks of redemptive action.
this kind of blogging will only lead to trouble. you should be ignored by all who hope to live the good life, on the back of Christ...
Jesus, our Mascot!
anonymous
Seth, you really should leave your daddy's computer alone. Your 4 year old arguments rip holes in my theology.
REA!! What's up brother!? THE BLOG IS UP I SEE!!! Actually, I knew it was, but hadn't commented thinking I needed to create an account first (maybe I do).
Can't wait to hang out again. bubaloos always is a callin :)
Now onto your post. I hear ya man. That's why I LOVE LOVE LOVE soooo much the team i serve with outside the abortion clinic. We have such vastly different backgrounds, the finer theologies we hang onto cover the whole spectrum.......and it doesn't matter to us! We're just brothers and sisters in the SAME FAMILY!
Us protestants, catholics, calvinists, armenians, theologically impaired (me, especially with this hell question still racing in my mind), black, white, hispanic, people who support the war, people who oppose the war, people with famlies, single people, parents, children.......man.....on the sreets.....none of it matters! We're a unified "church"....it's possible!! Go figure.
Talk with you soon brother
jesse
Jesse, I am always willing to make the drive and hang with you at bubbalous!! Something about putting the kabosh to being "debaters of the word" and becoming "doers of the word" that seems right in the eyes of the theologically impaired.
Post a Comment
<< Home