instagram that shit

(i don’t really care to blog about politics, but it’s a timely place to start, considering how pelican crazy everyone went talking about the supreme court today. nor will i claim to be a christian church analyst or expert, i'm simply free-handing ideas that come to mind, with the realization that many of them are flawed, but realizing that there has got to be some insight into our infrequent, sporadic political and religious fervor, and i want to figure it out, and perhaps ask myself why i don't really do anything about the things i claim to care so much about, and perhaps discover that it is because i haven't learned how to truly care about them, and maybe if i did learn how to, life would no longer be as easy or trendy, but rather challenging, but no less, good, and god-glorifying). 

i sincerely love how political we’ve become today, and rightfully so, a major piece of legislation is upheld by the supreme court, for which, whether we like it or not, our lives will be affected in some way shape or form, i suppose, if they haven’t been already; but perhaps, perhaps our political bantering today is just the social consciousness of a few months ago, when most of us pretended like we truly wanted justice for African children, but didn’t actually physically move there and look for places to start working, nor do anything for that matter, like we all liked pogs, yo-yo's, and silly-bandz, but grew out of them, when they no longer fit that intrinsic perception that there is a need to be entertained, to love what others love, have what others have, or more simply, be noticed, looked at, thought neater, bigger, cooler; or when they no longer made us happy. 

i don’t want church to be talked about like i do a coffee shop, and truth is i don’t hate on what is popular, in fact i recently joined twitter, bought an ipad and I love it, i want people to do and be near to wherever and what makes them happy, and then divorce themself from the idea that this is always how the christian life is lived, that this is somehow the way god intended his people to gather, in a place that entertains, and lets them love what others love, have what others have, be noticed, looked at, thought neater, bigger, cooler; or that makes them happy. 

i can’t think of one time in the gospel where Jesus had the disciples lead three songs before he preached, and i don’t want to be a crazy person, because truth is i like music, but lets honestly consider how much church happens within that often awkward span of time, how near we feel to god during the fourth accapella repeat of the bridge; because i think there's something to the mad emphasis; and I know some language scholar can help me out with this, because it just feels too right, that worship has little to do with singing, or about how 'refreshing' the preaching was, but about living, and probably not even always within the walls of a church; and i also know it’s good to feel near to god; and perhaps the church you like now does that for you, but perhaps that nearness is like the passion we feel in political ranting after a supreme court ruling, like the blood in our veins for our strongest opinion about gay marriage or some hot topic, the jinkos, chain wallets, or bell bottoms, of the present church; and it fades quickly; so if we take one element of the nearness away, i imagine most of us move on. 

so perhaps the church is sustaining a fad, that changes every so often, like hymnals and pews, projection screens and fog machines; but actually accomplishing very little; and not little in the bar graph, comparitive sense, because i realize we do a lot, but little in the potential sense; in the fact that maybe we're changing more to suit our attendees and less to meet the needs of the world. 

I don’t mean to downplay the work of many, who give their lives to spread Jesus, but don’t try and convince me that this is the norm, i would bet it’s entirely the opposite; that they are the extreme few, and when they become the norm, i’ll happily change my tone; because the money we give to support them, i imagine we individually spend significantly more on skinny jeans and angry birds, really, i imagine my own life is so right on that point it should disturb me.

i imagine that the average christian today spends more on fads than he does on the gospel, and if thats true in our spending habits why would i think it any different in our ideas of true worship; but i'm not condemning myself, as much as i am finding reason to believe that giving money cannot in fact be the whole story to living out the gospel; i must believe that physically living out the gospel, is direct, and whole; meaning that it is our chief portion of living, not some indirect, well i work at Lowe’s and I smile a lot, so people see Jesus in me. do i want to live out my life like Christ intended me to hopefully, and indirectly show him to the world, or do we want to live our lives in a way that demands our entire physical selves; all energy within our minds and hands, directly working to act justly and love mercy. 

Am I doing that, no, am i aiming in that direction, hopefully, will I get there, absolutely; and, i’m certain that if we thought more about true worship, more about actually physically doing, with our own hands, the things we feel so strongly for; the church could transform into what the world truly needs; it can feed the hungry, it can write bibles into every language, it can end social injustice; but the question is do we really want that? 

excuse me, it just started raining outside and i want to instagram that shit.