“A family without a commitment to the God of the Bible has no hope of stemming the tide of cultural onslaught. If we mix a little biblical truth, a little secular psychology, a little romance novel ideology, and a little eastern mysticism, we will get a deadly mixture of lies. Unfortunately, this is what many Christian families do … If we are to experience multigeneraltional faithfulness we must come to a place where we throw off the shackles of our culture and live in the fullness that is found only in Christ. We must be people who live the Word in our homes.”
~By Voddie T. Baucham, Jr.~
On the Horizon was launched on January 13, 2007, so I celebrated my “blogiversary” a couple of days ago.
It was a good time to stop and consider my blogging adventures of the past year, as well as my goals for the next, and the quote selected by Lori this week provided a excellent foundation for my deliberations.
My blogiversary also marked another anniversary: One year has elapsed since my liberation from the shackles of membership in the institutional, patriarchal church. It has been the best year of my spiritual life.
So many things demand our attention during the day: Work, our children’s educational, athletic and social pursuits, tending to our home environment, our hobbies and interests. Everywhere we turn we are invited to focus on something other than being grateful for our many blessings. We are dared to be faithless and disobedient to the Word. And nowhere did I find that to be more true than inside the walls of organized religion.
The church on earth is supposed to be a family, the members of which, i.e., believers, come together each week to worship. Ironically, after a lifetime of church membership and activities, I have experienced the fullest, freest and more meaningful worship experiences of my life during the past twelve months that I have not set foot inside a church building.
The reasons are readily evident in the quote.
Churches today are, in large numbers, falling victim to “cultural onslaught.” They are keenly aware that they are competing for our attention. So worship leaders are deliberately striving to design a worship service that will draw us away from our celebrity-obsessed, technology-dominated lives and into the church but, in the process, they are creating an environment that is shockingly, in my opinion, akin to the world we are scripturally called to live apart from. Rather than offering a solution, churches are, in my estimation, part of the problem because they are adding to the cacophony rather than offering respite to those who seek true worship.
Too often in recent years what I heard from the pulpit was “a little biblical truth, a little secular psychology, a little romance novel ideology, and a little eastern mysticism” mixed in with some pop culture wisdom. I wanted to learn to “live in the fullness that is found only in Christ,” but left the worship service feeling empty like a jilted bride who had been left at the altar.
Most importantly, Christ calls us to “live the Word [not just] in our homes,” but everywhere else, especially in His church. But too often, I came home from a church activity feeling that I had just experienced an event that was focused on anything and everything but the Word. With increasingly frequency, I experienced a church that struggled to survive via marketing to and imitation of the world, as well as manipulation of members’ and potential members’ emotions, rather than intense prayer, study of the Word and discernment of the Holy Spirit’s purpose for it. I experience an institutional church that existed, of necessity, “in the world” but teetering dangerously on the precipice of being totally “of the world.”
Finally, I could no longer resist the Holy Spirit’s urgings. I had to “throw off the shackles” of organized religion in order to hear the Word clearly in my ongoing effort to “live in the fullness that is found only in Christ.” Every day, I strive to “live the Word in [my] home,” as well as my business, endeavoring to block out the sounds of the world and allow the dulcet tones of the Holy Spirit’s voice to permeate my consciousness and direct my soul’s journey.
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I wrote an entry on January 17 proclaiming that I was being spiritually pruned. I didn’t stop attending church, but I am way less involved in church life. I had some of the same concerns you had.
I recently read a book called The Vanishing Word: The Veneration of Visual Imagery in the Postmodern World that discussed how the church in following the MTV generation into a image-driven, emotional worship style. The author walked through history and compared the church today to the church of the early Middle Ages.
Such great thoughts ~ blessings
Julie@Shanan Trail’s last blog post..Mix In A Lot of Faith
I remember reading your posts after you left your Lutheran church and how I could feel your pain. It is wonderful that you have found your own path. Many can relate to your experience, I am sure. It is sad that all too many people leave not only church, but also a desire to follow a spiritual path. The latter of course is what would truly change their lives.
Viola Jaynes’s last blog post..A Better Choice
I have experienced the fullest, freest and more meaningful worship experiences of my life during the past twelve months that I have not set foot inside a church building.
i believe that it’s a new word you have there.. blogversary
i agree with you that as we get older, we are pretty encumbered..
I wholeheartedly agree. I lament that most of “the church” has succumbed to a “cultural onslaught” (good phrase!) and became more of a problem than a better way. My wife and I are similarly experiencing the freedom (and loneliness) of post-church spirituality.
Happy blogiversary!
Stuart’s last blog post..Direct Deposit?
That is exactly why I am more spiritual than religious. Congratulations for your blogiversary!
I have been mulling over this post for nearly a week now, not sure how to interpret the sadness I felt from it. Our church experiences apparently are vastly different. I understand how the expectations of others and the sometimes unscriptural devotion to tradition can be oppresive. And while I have felt well used at times, church is an added dimension in my life. I look forward to going and connecting with people. I feel loved and appreciated and very “at home” there. But I know you are not alone in your feelings of dissatisfaction. I read other bloggers who have struggled with church also. I’m never quite sure how to respond, mostly because I don’t relate, but it always saddens me. After reading Stuart’s comment I realized why–it must be somewhat lonely. I want all people to experience the community feeling I do, but at the same time I understand God has different plans for us all. I’m glad you have found greater satisfaction in your spiritual life and pray you have supportive relationships which both lift you up and hold you accountable.
I always appreciate your honesty and individuality, Hopeful Spirit. Thanks for the food for thought.
Tami’s last blog post..When Words Don’t Come Easy
Happy belated blogiversary! When you have a God focus blog like this, it will be blessing to everyone, and be blessed in return. Keep up the good work!
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