Our Church For Fools

I just returned from one of our local church Christmas celebration services. The children sang a nice song, a young woman sang a nice cowboy tune about Christmas and the congregation sang the usual Christmas songs, "Star of Bethlehem" and "Three wise kings".
Then, the senior pastor started talking about John chapter 1 and moved back to Matthew Chapter 1-2 about Jesus's birth.I left then because it was the typical "Baby stuff" for Christians. I've heard it a thousand times and it does not move me to worship the true event of the Bible.

I also noticed how feminine everything was (Not that I am anti female) but because it did not appeal to me or to men. Even the church decor was all feminine. Not one item showed that Jesus was a man.
So, why would a guy like me, or any guy who is a sinner want to look and listen to mushy feminine stuff? What I need (And I think other men need) is a manly Christ to identify with and communicate with. We need His forgiveness, and acceptance as men who fall far short of the obedience Christ taught. So many men (And and Woman) still drink, smoke and do other stuff that is obviously not practices that God would like. We admit it. But, we still love God. And, we know we are not like Christ yet and far from it! I am only trying to find some honest people who are like me.

I need to know that foolish people like me are really trying to find God in a real way despite my messed up ways of living. Where are all the other sick and messed up people who need Jesus? I can not seem to find them in our local church congregations. I'm sure, like me, some of us are going to local churches seeking God's help, forgiveness, love and acceptance, but if you are a man anyway, they just don't seems to fill the empty void within you.

I don't know about you guys (And maybe gals) but, what I need is a place where I can go even if I am drunk (Now, I'm in recovery), loaded or even clean and sober and hear that God still loves and accepts me just as I am at present. That's what Jesus did when He was here on earth 2000 years ago. He made it a priority to call, spend His time a lot with and use people who were outcast from society.

I'm a social outcast too. I don't make friend's easily nor do I conform well to organized religion or other social institutions. But, the way I read the Bible, God loves the outcasts the most because they need saving the most. In fact, Jesus as God's Son incarnate came to earth to rescue and save people who were messed up like me(And maybe you).

So, why do our churches seem to cater to and encourage conformity to being nicely dressed, nicely pleasant to each other? If a person enters a church nowadays drunk or dressed poorly or who smells badly they are usually avoided. Isn't that Hypocrisy?

In my church group all people are welcome and we show in action that we care for them. We go out of our way and take the time from our schedules to make sure that they are treated equal and are respected and have their basic living needs met. We share everything we have among us as did the early church did. Also, we don't exclude people who have wealth or dress well either. To us, all are respected if we have a unity of purpose to help our fellow suffering Brothers and Sisters (Believer's or not) to endure the hardships of this life so to bring them to the future coming Kingdom of God.

The only problem we have is room for all the needy. But, that is only a temporary problem, because we are trying to teach people that once they have God's Holy Spirit to move outward to their communities to make disciples for Christ (The Great Commission). We do not want to be just a Christian day care center. What we want is for broken people who know Christ to move out with the "Good News" of Jesus Christ.

And, that is all we are about.