Jelly Donuts, Broccoli, & a dying Body.
What do you hunger for in your spiritual life?
When I was a child I loved jelly donuts and Orange Crush soda and if allowed I would have lived off jelly donuts and Orange Crush soda. Unfortuatnely, one cannot survive off of jelly donuts and orange soda. Jelly donuts may get me to the breakfast table as a kid, but theyt won’t provide the long-term nutrition that I need to sustain me for a healthy life.
Do you ever find church like jelly donuts and orange soda in that you are never satisfied?
Yesterday my wife and I ventured off to a "new" church that has been in the neighborhood for four years. It was more of an experiment for my wife and I. (She has a beautiful soul and decided to indulge with me.)
Within 20 seconds from steeping into the church I knew that I wanted to leave. The people were friendly, warm, and welcoming, but it was just the "jelly donut and orange soda" spirituality and theology that left my teeth hurting from all the sugar, while everyone else looked dazed from the sugar-buzz. We sang songs about me and Jesus; heard a sermon of how God answers our prayers if will only believe; and right in the middle of the service we took a break before the "featured" speaker was about to take the stage for 45 minutes. What in the world were these people thinking?
Have you ever wanted to walk out in the middle of a church service? That’s what I did; after one hour I got up and left. When I got in the car I did everything in my power not to criticize the church, but that did not stop me from making my "observations" known to my wife. She looked and me and said, "It is feeding them. It is level one spirituality and they are being fed." She was absolutely right, but I wondered if there is so much more that could feed them and I don’t think they can survive forever off of a sugary-Jesus made of jelly donuts and orange soda theology. Later a friend told me that he attended a church from my denomination that reminded him of cold, wet
broccoli and over-cooked, dry pork-chops. What's worse?
We wonder why the church is sick. I think that far too often in the church we go to the refrigerator needing healthy food only to discover stale, left-over jelly donuts and flat orange soda or cold, over-cooked, watered-down vegetables. What our souls crave is the spiritual food of the consecrated Bread and Wine that gives life. This is nourishment needed to be the Church fed by the holy mysteries and is sent out into the world to do the work that God has given us to do, to love and serve God.
6 Comments:
growing up my denomination was plymouth brethren. they were really screwed up in a lot of ways, but one thing they got right was a one hour service called 'the breaking of the bread'.
it was dry as toast back then, but i think with a group of real, honest folk (and allowing the women to participate) that would be the most amazing meeting of followers.
i had to laugh out loud when i read about the church that was like donuts and crush - that is the one liam works at. their communion consists of grape juice and tiny little squares of shortbread. i call it juice and cookies. i don't think we're meant to remember his death until he comes with juice and cookies... sigh.
I had always enjoy reading your postings. For this I was provoked.
Have you thought about going to that church to be a blessing to the people that named Jesus to be their Lord. Maybe their spirituality does not match up to yours but if you are the stronger one, you should be the one to do the loving and the blessing.
Maybe you should do church that people like you will find it difficult to criticize. Jesus love His church and gave His life for her. What did you give to that local expression of His body?
Love you my brother.
powerful words Rick.. thank you once again for a very thought provoking post.
Been there, done that, brother.
I have stayed in powerful worship that has lasted 2-1/2 hours, and been fed every minute. I have been screaming to leave services after 20 minutes. So it's not about length. I'm not of the "no one gets saved after an hour" group...
Your lovely wife is dead on - they're doing it because it's reaching them, at some level. There are a couple of churches that I've visited that are the jelly-donut variety. Bully for them, I say. (And one very smart lady - you're a very lucky man, I hope you know.)
I could write for an hour on what Luke commented. That sounds way too close to the "rescue, save and repair" codependency that I can get wrapped up in. Plus the fact that most folks who are doing things their way are usually quite content, and don't want to hear about how I think they ought to do things. Been there, done that, and trust me - don't go there or do that, unless you are called to be an agent of change.
I've not encountered this "level-1" classification - if you've got a good reference for that, I'd be curious.
Challenging as always, brother!
Thank to every one, Bobbie, Steve, Jeff, and Luke.
Luke thank you for you words of wisdom. I agree, I need to be the light if I profess to be so enlightened. :) I didn't intend to sound harsh and critical. I appreciate your willingness to bring that forth.
Many blessings,
Rick
To determine the validity or rightness of a particular liturgy or practice on the basis of whether someone was "getting his or her (felt) needs met" is itself terribly consumerist and cynical.
They may indeed be "reaching" people, but reaching them with what? Good intentions do not turn cyanide into medicine...
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