15 Reasons Why I Left the Church - Reason #4

Rachel Held Evans – 15 reasons I left the church – Age 27 left the church – now 30

4. I left the church because sometimes it felt like a cult, or a country club, and I wasn’t sure which was worse. 

One of the worst feelings we experience is being out of balance.  You know that feeling when you are high on a latter and somehow your weight shifts and your not sure whether to cling to the ladder or to the building.  In the moment of panic you are not sure which is your best options. 

I believe Rachel's reason #4 brings up two areas the church has this unique balancing act.  They are decisions of balance that cause us to either hold on to the ladder or to the building.  When we mess up the balance of these issues we will fall and crash to the ground. 

The church sometimes feels like a cult because we get out of balance with our call to repentance.  On the one hand we are called to influence the world with the power of the Good News.  It is a Biblical and God call on our lives to call people to repent in order to find a connection with Jesus.  But we can get so focused on repentance that we fail to allow the Holy Spirit to be the one that calls people to repentance.  We recently had a para-church organization give a presentation at our church.  I appreciate this group because of the work they do and that all donations go 100% to the cause.  The presentation was normal until a final video clip was shown. The video used the story of a teenage tragedy to try and motivate us to give to the cause.  For me it crossed the line from motivational to guilt pressuring people to give to the cause.  Sometimes we are so passionate about the cause that we fail to see that we cross the lines of what our role is and what the role of the Holy Spirit.  We tip towards the cult feel when we pressure and use too much guilt to get people to conform to our way of understanding God.  In many churches there is a "believe it my way or no way" mentality. 

Of course to balance that reality we must not become just a social group.  A group of people with common interest who are all Facebook friends and church friends.  We long for community and unity in the church so we promote the concept of fellowship.  We all have the need in our life to be loved and accepted.  So it is easy for church to only fill those needs in our lives and we come and go to every Sunday and the highlight of our day is talking to our good friend Joe/Jane about our last outing concerning our favorite hobby. 

By the power of the Holy Spirit the church must be a place where God's Spirit has room and opportunity to convict people of sin - but not be a close minded society.  By the power of the Holy Spirit we need unity with a great love for people outside the community. 

Live in balance! 

15 Reasons Why I Left the Church - Reason Three

Rachel Held Evans - Left the church at 27 - still gone at age 30

I left the church because my questions were seen as liabilities.

Faith - to be sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith - Hebrews 10:22

With our focus on assurance in the Bible it is easy to fear people who have questions.  It is easy to develop an atmosphere that questions are really a lack of faith.  The biggest problem with that is that we develop a culture of I must hide my real questions about God and the Bible.  I must act only a certain way and may only ask certain questions.  I must put on my smile at church and "fake it" like I have all the answers.

I believe that you can be certain of God and have great faith, but still have unanswered questions.  That God gives us permission to have time to question, lament (nice Biblical term for complaining about my bad circumstances), and grieve like we are actually still humans.  God is not afraid of our questions, so we can't be afraid of each other's questions.  If God's ways are far beyond my ways than I will naturally have questions for God and His ways.  Ultimately God will either answer my questions or give me a peace about my lack of understanding.

I believe unquestioning faith is shallow faith.  As people question and wrestle with God, we find answers that help develop deep and grounded faith.  If we are unwilling to spend the time to ask the difficult questions we may find our faith is lacking when we face the darkest days or the brightest days of our lives.  Both the trials and blessing days will test your faith.

We need to make sure we never react in such a way as to communicate to others - "wow, that is a dumb question."
We need to learn to ask questions that will help people to open up and share their deep questions about God and life.
We need to be open about sharing our own questions about the Bible, God and the church.

15 Reasons Why I Left the Church - Reason Two

Rachel Held Evans - at age 27 she left the church - At age 30 she reflects on why she is still gone

2. I left the church because when we talked about sin, we mostly talked about sex. 

In a sexual saturated society - it is easy to become too focused on the one issue that seems to stare us in the face so often - SEX.  We have plenty of scriptures to back up that sexual immorality is a big deal... but it is definitely not the only issue the church needs to address.  I believe sometimes the issue is so private and individualistic in our churches (not our culture) that it is easy for us to point our everyone else's issues that appear to be so much worse than our own.  I think we are guilty of only talking about the bad things about sex and fail to talk about the good things about sex.  

This is not an issue that is going away anytime soon.  With the national average age of marriage rising into the late twenties, people in their sexual prime will have even more difficulties staying sexually pure.  Not saying it is not possible, just saying it is much different than in the Biblical days.  When the Bible was written there were many differences in the culture - young ladies were married in their teens.  Also remember that the only way a Jewish man could commit adultery in those days was to have sexual relationships with a married woman besides his wife.  So with men writing the rules for sexual immorality there were some loop holes. 

Often we are tempted to think that our exposure to sexual material has greatly increased through the years.  But if you do a little reading about the city of Corinth and their worship of the gods through celebrating the woman's body and sexual acts... we may not be so different after all.  

Probably our biggest issue in the world of sex is our treatment of homosexuality.  But I believe we will have to wait until Reason #15 for that discussion.  

Any suggestions of how the church can keep of Biblical view of sex and yet deal with a generation that believes we focus too much on the issue? 

15 Reasons Why I Left the Church - Reason One

Rachel Held Evans - Gives 15 reasons she left the church at age 27 -
Reason #1 I left the church because I’m better at planning Bible studies than baby showers...but they only wanted me to plan baby showers. 


To the older generations: We have to provide opportunities for leadership positions for young people in the church.  If we have a leadership position we need to take a young person under our wings and help them feel like they have a role and a spiritual impact on the church.  We can't wait until they have it all figured out. 
To the younger generations: You have to step up and lead or you will get bored.  If the Kingdom of God is not God using your gifts and talents to impact the church and the world you won't ever be satisfied with the church.  


The church has to get back to its spiritual roots. Too often we are about programs instead of creating a space for people to encounter the Living God.  Too often we trust in our own abilities and in the leadership models of the world to run the church.  Jesus Christ is the one and only head of the one true church.  We follow Jesus leadership when we follow the winds of the Spirit of God.  The youth of the our church will never be satisfied with church as normal, only church as empowered and controlled by the mysterious wind of the Holy Spirit.  We have to learn to hear the Spirit's voice and follow the Spirit's lead.  We have to live in expectation the the most powerful source known to man lives within us and longs to transform our lives, our communities and the world.  


What do you think?  How can we further address this issue as a church today? 

Confession Time

I had a difficult time preaching last Sunday.  My heart was broken for a certain unspoken prayer request for a friend.  It was on my list of things I prayed about during the 21 day fast.  I was hoping and believing things would turn around.  Hoping and believing that God was going to move like I wanted Him to move.  But the situation has not changed and my heart is hurting because a friend is hurting.

I was rather frustrated and the sermon from Mark 5 - just touching the tassel of Jesus robe and there is healing.  This seemed so harsh to me.  Why do some receive healing and some remain to suffer?  Why does it seem when some people reach out to God they seem to receive nothing?  In my frustration of the situation I turned my frustration to God.

And God in His great compassion and patience with me - doesn't strike me down! "like I probably deserve for being so stubborn and accusing God of such indifference "  Instead He sternly asks me, "Where were you when I formed the world?"  "Do you really trust me that I am at work even when it looks like I am not?"  That was all he needed to say, as I cried out for grace for my stubborn and untrustworthy heart.  I am so grateful for a God who is willing to discipline me because He loves me.

Pray for me as I pray for you to learn obedience to the will of the Father and to trust Him with all our hearts.

Lent Devotions

February 23, 2012 – Mark 1:9-15 – Day 2

                Jesus went into the wilderness for forty days to fast and to pray.  He did not go to be tempted, but while he was there he was tempted by Satan.  Why do we spend forty days fasting and praying for Lent?  Partly because it was Jesus’ example to fast and pray for forty days as he prepared for his ministry.   Partly because it is a significant time to overcome something in our lives.  If we give up a bad habit for forty days, it is very likely we can continue to give that up after Resurrection Sunday.    During these next weeks you will be tempted in many ways.  Tempted to cheat on our fast.  Tempted to be too busy to pray.  Tempted to put off doing the acts of service you have committed to.  In many ways when you go to the wilderness for forty days you are asking for temptation.  Expect it!  Memorize 1 Corinthians 10:13:  The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.  

                Pray that God would help you to keep your promises to God this Lent season and that you would be able to fight the temptations that come.  Remember, if you do stumble, it is okay to get back up and keep going. 

Daily Lent Devotions are available on the "What is Happening Now" page of www.livingfaithgirard.com 

Lapis Lazuli

In Exodus 24 we read of Moses and the elders of Israel up on the mountain of God eating a covenant meal in the presence of God.  It says that the earth below the presence of God was like lapis lazuli.  A blue rock that is found in the Middle East.  God's presence impact everything that comes close to Him.  The ground underneath God was turned into a glowing blue rock.  When we are in God's presence His presence will impact who we are and what we are about.  His presence can make dirt look like a beautiful rock.  His presence can make us look beautiful as well.