Programs vs. Standards

Why is it that the people that are constantly complaining, saying that the church is all about programs, are the same people who seem to have a standard of what people need to look and act like to be seen as acceptable Christians? I know! I too had to take a second look at that. Let me elaborate:

Let's call him Greg. Greg is the guy that is constantly hanging around after church meetings and major events complaining that "this church" seems to only be about programming. "All we ever do is programming. It's like the program is more important than the people. Does this church even care about people?" You know the kind I'm talking about. They seem to think all the prodestant church has become is an organization/business that is only built to become a mega church. The oximoron of it all is the fact that this same Greg is the same guy frowning at the different guy that just walked in the church doors or worse is hanging outside the front door. Greg is upset because that guy doesn't even look like a Christian and he sure isn't acting like one. That different guy talks like a sailor and it's almost as if he does even care about how he is scaring the people around him. Greg will then do what ever he can to "unintentionally" make the different guy awkward and dismissed.

The same guy that is complaining that the church is only about programs is the same guy that won't change anything about himself or his "expectations" to reach that unchurched guy.

If you look at Jesus' ministry, he didn't even like hanging out with those people who thought they spiritually had it all together. In fact he very often was frustrated, even mad with those people. They thought they were spiritually superior but in fact they were completely missing the point. Jesus was not about changing people from the outside in. HE CHANGED THEM FROM THE INSIDE OUT!

Yet again, when Christianity became a "religion" we forgot about Christ's plan and began with our own. We have this tendency to think that if we can get people to act the right way we might be able to change their heart. In turn all we do is change the immediate behavior and forfeit the life long change.

It's got to be about change from the inside out. And whatever that takes from me and my church...I'm willing to do it. If we can get to someone's heart and in turn change his soul the rest is a cake walk.

Pray...

Since when did "pray continuely" mean babble to God? I don't know why it gets under my skin so bad but it drives me nuts when people try to sound spritual in there prayer and then when they decide to go on and on. They make up phrases that sound spiritual but for the life of me I can't figure out what they are trying to say or where they got it from. Yet they get moos from the rest of the room.

Let's pause for a second and talk about the "Moos". I used to love them. In fact I would try to pray the prayers that would get the Moos. It made be feel like a great pray-er. I was so tempted to pray more to the moos than I did to the heavenly father. Many times I did. I don't want to completyly slam the moos though. I think at times they can be apropriate to aggree with someone in prayer but I also feel that more times than not the get out of hand.

So back to the prayer continuely. Personally I think that we have it all wrong. It is my experience that when we pray for extended periods of time all we do is ask, ask, ask. It seems like all it is is a request fest. We miss the context of the instruction to pray. Paul says "be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances..." He says be joyful and thankful. When we pray for hours we should spend the majority of our time being thankful, not complaining about our current curcumstance, and what we need more of.

I think it is time that we return to the Jesus teaching on prayer:

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

"This, then, is how you should pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right
Do what's best—
as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You're in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You're ablaze in beauty!
Yes. Yes. Yes.

That's simple. We should pray like that. We should always be thankful, be honest and keep from babbling. I think it is time we re-examine which prayers/prayer-warriors we are modeling ourselves after.