The Falling City

This city we've built will crush us all
Lest our backs be against it, it's bound to fall
And I am he with the cardboard sign
Whose doomsday warnings have all been denied

Have we forgotten what we are are protecting?
The in looks like the out and its lost its purpose for erecting

Am I alone among the blind who see
This city is not what we built it to be
We call it denomination, He calls it division
When will we see God has made His decision?

To the outskirts of town outsiders are thrown
While the darkness in our alleyways steadily groans

Thoughts on a Rough Day

It never ceases to amaze me that God takes my requests seriously. I prayed last week that I could know the pain that the people God has put on my heart, for future reference, that's the prayer God will always take you up on. Paul said once that anyone who wants to follow God will be persecuted. I utterly despise this verse. This means that I can do everything right and still wake up and not know anything. I can spend my life giving advice, and wake up and not know what to tell myself. I know nothing today. I don't know what tomorrow will hold or even later tonight but I'm ok. Here is what I learned today: I would rather spend a thousand years in the confusion and pain of following God's will then a day in the confusion and pain of never knowing God's will. I cannot imagine my life without the illogical peace I have from simply knowing that I don't have to deal with my problems because I have a God who died so He could relieve me. I've learned the difference between happiness the mood and happiness the lifestyle. Needless to say I have a lot I can now share with some people I come in contact with.

The Cafeteria Church

I have eaten that stuff everyday for 12 years. Everyday I take a little foam tray piled with as much stuff as the lunch ladies will allow me and then sit in the same seat at the same table. All this monotony of lunch has got me thinking.
The first thing I notice when I think about cafeteria food is that it’s not great. That’s easy. Now contrary to popular belief, there are laws and regulations governing what a school can or cannot serve, meaning that even though it is said that the mystery meat is made of student remains, it probably isn’t true. Sure I daily complain about the food but if I’m honest, it’s decent. It’s not Red Lobster but it will at least keep my stomach from making those funny noises of hunger that sound like I’m smuggling guinea pigs under my shirt; which by the way the technical term for a growling stomach is "warbling" (just thought you should know). The lunch isn’t great but it also isn’t completely sickening. Sometimes I think we view the Church the same way.
Our services aren’t great, our offerings aren’t great and our missions and outreaches aren’t great, but they keep our stomach of conscience satisfied for a little while longer. We go for the minimum because all we want is just satisfaction. We do good to please the masses and not great to please our God. We justify this by comparing ourselves to the junk food also available to us, also called "luberwart" (more useless vocabulary knowledge in action). The vending machines being only a few feet away, are filled with food that could instantly clog your arteries with sweet deliciousness (though I am not sure that death by Jumbo Honeybun would necessarily be a bad thing). The Church looks at all the things we have available to us that cause so much harm and we pat ourselves on the back for being an alternative which won’t kill those who partake in it. That my friend, is not why the Church was established. If we are not a great meal, we have no business serving ourselves to the world. Great does not mean big, loaded (or as church people would say "financially blessed") or extravagant but it simply means letting every bite be succulent with the flavor of the Savior.
The second thing I noticed is that many times, I have no idea what the heck I am eating. Is that chewy meatloaf or burnt cornbread? Why does this taco taste have a rasberry after-taste? I have all these questions about the food they serve, but believe me I don't want an answer. I am content not knowing what makes up what I eat at Stockbridge High. We are content not knowing the uncomfortable truths about the God we serve. I don't want to know what part of the cow this chicken came from (that wasn't a typo), and we don't want to know what are our responsibilities as members of the Body of Christ. I am fairly certain we don't completely understand ourselves what it is that we scream at unbelievers and we may not want to know. Is this justification or sanctification? Why do I have to do good things when they tell me it's not about things I do?
No wonder the world is so confused when the people who should be the ones explaining don’t understand themselves. What are we feeding the world?

Just sayin...