I was reading Clay’s blog tonight and my comment started turning into a blog post, so I shortened the comment and decided to write my thoughts on my own blog.

His blog was about a church near him that is advertising a “Patriotic Sunday”. His point (I hope I am accurately summarizing here) is that there is a line that should not be crossed in making our Country or a flag the object of our worship. I totally agree with that assessment and I also agree that using something like this to draw seekers can be questionable.

My particular soap-box was constructed a few years back. I was in a church Christmas play about how the season was so commercial, we take our good fortune for granted and need to re-center our focus on Christ. Roger that.

Then it happened… I didn’t know it was coming, and from the look of things my Dad (the pastor) didn’t know it was coming either. Someone stands up at the front of the church and says something to the effect of “Does someone hear Reindeer?” and Santa busts through the center isle door. Right in the middle of the sanctuary they set up this big chair and put Santa in it for all the kids to come tell him what “stuff” they want for Christmas.
I was livid. If there is a stronger word for livid, that would be more accurate. I was inconsolable. How can we do this? We just told everyone that they needed to focus on Christ during Christmas, and immediately turn around to tell them “Nevermind, ask for more junk”.

Since then, my disingenuous detector has worked overtime when it comes to church services. Anything that I perceive as being duplicitous, phony or overly theatrical makes me want to scream. I’m no stuff-shirt when it comes to church. I don’t think there are many valid “sacred cows” in worship, but when it comes to sending a message about our Savior, I think we need to be clear and consistent.

While I am on a rant: As someone who basically left the faith for a few years, I can tell you that from the outside looking in nothing is more unattractive than the fake fun we sometimes as Christians want to portray. I’m all for good wholesome fun, but when it is so over-the-top-kindergarten-teacher-driven cheesy “fun” I don’t think we do ourselves any favors. To me, it was insulting that Christians thought they were fooling me with how much fun they were allegedly having. It wasn’t until I met a group of guys who would drink a beer and talk about Jesus that I came back to Christianity. They weren’t faking anything, they were just people having fun and they happened to be Christians. They lived within the boundaries (i.e. they weren’t getting drunk and talking about Jesus), but they were real and they really love Jesus.

People want us to be who we say we are, and any attempt at faking it just turns them off.

So, I’m sure I took a left turn here somewhere into something totally unrelated to Clay’s blog, but I decided that while I had the soapbox out I might as well get it all off my chest.

This isn’t how I thought my 200th post would be, but in place of the 200th post extravaganza I bring you

JOKES ON DRUMMERS!

How many drummers does it take to change a light bulb?

Twenty. One to hold the bulb, and nineteen to drink until the room spins.

What do you call someone who hangs out with musicians?

A drummer.

*Note: I don’t mean to just pick on drummers, and yes, I DO BELIEVE THAT DRUMMERS ARE (well, they can be) MUSICIANS. All the guys I regularly play with now are great, and this isn’t directed at anyone. I saw these as a comment on Grant’s blog.

Got a problem? Take it up with Jill