Dear American Church Part 2

Written By Guest Blogger: Josh Walriven

From the Heart: 

1 Cor 3:16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

For years I have struggled with church. Yes, I attend church. I am on a worship team, have ran ministries and preached from the pulpit on a Sunday morning. I know some of you may be scratching your head right now so let me explain.

My issues with the American church, as it is currently constructed, is that it has become a vehicle to put another butt in a seat to make a buck. We focus more on having another big event, a big-name worship leader, big-name preachers etc. The reason the early church was successful was because they fellowshipped together in and OUT of the temple. 

Acts 2:46-47 Every day they continued to meet in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

The early church was centered around a sense of community, family and fellowship. The modern church is centered around performance, money and charismatic preachers. Yet, we ask ourselves why people do not attend “church?” Could it be that they see through the facade and see the modern church for what it is?

Another issue I see is that leadership in the modern church lacks good character and have massive, inflated egos. 

Romans 12:3 NIV: For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

2nd Peter 1:5-9 So do not lose a minute in building on what you have been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you cannot see what is right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books.

There are probably many reasons one can point to as a reason that we have become so fixated on crowds, lights, cameras, etc. I am not here to discuss that. I want to discuss what we have to do to right this ship and show people a REAL God! If there is one thing, I have come to realize it is this. This Christian walk is MESSY, DIRTY AND UGLY!

I recognize that I am just one person, with many flaws, alive at this moment in time doing my best to get through this thing called life. I also recognize the same of you! You and I do not need another “name” or conference. What we need is a real, honest relationship centered around the love of the Father that is in Jesus. What we need is to be able to call someone when our life is turned upside down. We need someone to toss us a life jacket when the waves of the life have us drowning. 

When does the modern church recognize its errors and shift the paradigm? When do the Pastors of the modern church recognize it is not their name that matters but the name of Jesus?  When do worship leaders get rid of the lights and the show and fix their character flaws? When does the modern church stop being a den of thieves and be the bride of Christ that leads others to the throne room of GOD?