The Fake Button

The Fake Button.
That's right, I made up a term!  If you're confused right now, let me explain.

So, you're in the car, on your way to church.  You just had an unbelievably difficult morning with your kids.  One didn't get out of bed until you dumped ice water on their face, and one wanted to wear the football jersey that they wore yesterday, and you didn't have a chance to wash it.  So, you've got a sleeper and a stinker.  Now you're driving down the road, listening to the sleeper tell the stinker how they can't breathe because of the smell that is wafting off of the jersey.  Finally, you yell into the back seat and tell them both to shut up.  They don't.  You yell again, this time with an extra four-letter word for emphasis.  Your spouse doesn't like the way you just talked to your precious off-spring, so now you two are fighting.  By the time you pull into the church parking lot, you have a full-on family fight.  It's not pretty.  In fact, it's pretty nasty.  But then, you have to get out of the car, and walk in to church.  You are about go into the lion's den.  The den is your church building.  The lions are all of the perfect little church people with perfect kids waiting to judge you.  What do you do?

THE FAKE BUTTON!

You push that imaginary button, plaster that fake little smile on your face, and walk into church like you have it all together.  You don't have it all together.  You've had a terrible week, and a really terrible morning, but who wants to hear that?  That's not what church is for.   Church is where we act perfect so we don't get shunned.  Where we tell our kids to "be on your best behavior," so our friends won't tell everyone else what's wrong with them.  Where we ask for prayer, but not for real issues.  Just the ones that people can't use against us. Right? 

So, how do we get rid of the "fake button" in our churches?  I think it has to start with us.  What if we start showing unconditional love to our brothers and sisters?  What if we start being honest about our struggles, even though it brings criticism?  What if we refuse to fake anything?  What if we commit to being true to Jesus Christ, and to ourselves, regardless of the consequences?  What if we don't play the church game?  What if we choose to never use other people's struggles against them?  What if we show grace, and refuse to allow our own self-righteousness to dictate our actions?  What if, when we see fault in others, we choose to focus on their strengths, or maybe the pain that is causing the faults in their lives. 

What if we replace the "Fake Button" with the reality of the love of Jesus Christ?
I'm trying to break my fake button.  Care to join me?

Love you guys

Josh 

A Pansy in a Pulpit

Charles Spurgeon said, "I am perhaps vulgar, but it is not intentional, save that I must and will make the people listen. My firm conviction is that we have had quite enough polite preachers, and many require a change. God has owned me among the most degraded and off-casts. Let others serve their class; these are mine, and to them I must keep."

How many men, designed and called by God to speak the truth, have been castrated by the knife of institutionalized Christianity?  How many men have been so intimidated and pacified in a seminary classroom, that they no longer seek to speak the truth plainly as their chief goal in preaching?
    How many men have been lost to the fear of man as a result of listening to the criticism that always flies from the arrogant, pious hypocrits that fill the pews across America?  "You shouldn't say that."  You shouldn't wear that, smoke that, drink that, or believe that."  "You shouldn't let that person in your church."
       I have almost been lost many times.  Many times I have thought long and hard about returning to a quiet life running camps at the YMCA, mowing grass, or just finding something else to do altogether.  Many times I have gotten up from my computer and wondered why people love to hate so much.  Why do people want to see us fail?  Why do people listen to messages on our website, just so they can criticise it to their hundreds of FB friends?  Many times I have considered returning to the preaching style that I was taught growing up in conservative churches.  Many times I have contemplated censoring my messages, dressing more "appropriately," speaking more eloquently, taking out the earrings, covering up the tattoos, not showing so much emotion, and not being angry with the American Church.
        I cannot, and I will not.  I would rather face the hostility, name-calling, dirty looks, emails, FB messages and rumors, than become another pawn in the religious game that most of us are playing.  You can keep your knife for another man, because I will not become a pansy in a pulpit, so afraid to offend someone that he never actually says anything!  I will not ask my staff to dance the dance that brings acceptance in the church in the south.  I will not bow.
   If you don't go to church, or hate what it has become, I invite you to hang out with us at Relevant Truth Church.  We are a church of broken people in love with our awesome Savior, Jesus Christ.  Please wear shorts and a t-shirt, because our facility in unbelievably hot right now.  It's alot of fun though.  Jesus was tortured.  We can handle some sweat.  (Our children's area is air-conditioned :) 
      Please make plans to hang out with us.  We meet in what used to be Zero Gravity Skatepark in Brevard NC @ 6:00 pm/ The address is 920 Old Hendersonville Hwy.