As American Christians we talk a big game...we show off our immense vocabulary on Sundays;
Redemption
Resurrection
Grace
Blood of the Lamb
Jesus
Forgiven
Sin...
...and so on...
Of course our church time is becoming less a time of fellowship and strengthening our spiritual walk and is rapidly just becoming a pastime.
You don't need any fancy words to describe this phenomenon; here is the bottom line.
The American church is lame!
How many parents force their children to come not because they are concerned about developing young followers of Christ but rather to show that they are "good parents" who are raising their children the right way? How many adults are just as lukewarm about their true spiritual state as their middle school students?
Meanwhile there are millions of believers across the globe being tortured and martyred in the name of this Jesus character? Kinda sad really that the average American finds it too difficult to get out of bed on their day off to take an hour of their time to hear the gospel (good news) of the salvation mankind. Wow. If we actually do manage to make it to service a cup of Starbucks is definitely necessary to keep us awake during the service...especially during the tedious book of Leviticus...
Oh and then of course after the benediction in the fall there is the mad dash to make it out of the parking lot so we don't miss the kickoff of the Packer game! (The Lord would disapprove if you didn't watch your team with more devotion and loyalty than the Son of Man, I'm sure!)
And then Monday we are back to the same old routine. Grouchy on Mondays...groaning throughout the week about how work will never end, then back to church on Sunday to worship the God we have forgotten about all week.
And no a visit to TGI Fridays does not count as devotional time during the week!
When Jesus of Nazareth made the claim to be Christ he stated that no one can enter the Kingdom of Heaven except through him. And he never promised that it would be easy...
An excerpt of Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken" comes to mind when I think about the life I try to live;
"Two roads diverged in a wood and I
I took the road less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."
We all need to constantly and consistently check ourselves; are we on the road less traveled or the Highway to Hell?
