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Writer's pictureThe Novelist Dario

As a Member of the Choir

As a member of the choir,

I tire of John 3:16.

It is not the message behind the verse that bothers me

Nor its Author.

However, hearing its use for the 15th million time

Causes my mind to autofill the words

Before the preacher finishes reading.

 

“For God so loved the world”

That He gave His only begotten Son

“That He gave His only begotten-“

So that whosoever believes in Him may not perish

But have everlasting life.

“So that-“

 

By the time the mouth reaches “everlasting”

I have had lasting thoughts on football teams…

And other things.

Tuning out the message of the week

While feeling resentment for how weak the church has become

 

I mean no disrespect

But the fact of it is, Sunday sermons are typically for babies

Feasting on milk for their twenty-third year

In a walk with Christ

How are you still on salvation

And have not progressed to sanctification and application?

Yet, I’m the mean one for acknowledging your stagnation

You cling to the water

Held breaths for .2 seconds in case you drown

When the Lord said you could move mountains!

How many times are we going to ignore the “study”

In favor of “approved”?

 

You should know that scripture

I won’t be giving you hints

 

You should know of the Levite’s concubine

You should know about the prophet’s prostitute wife

You should know about the soldier whose hand costed him his life

You should know of Jonathan and the armor-bearer

 

Did you know God poisoned a people for complaining?

Did you know He prevented pregnancies

Because a man took a prophet’s wife?

Do you know the last recorded sins of Sodom, Gomorrah, and Jericho

Before God enabled their destruction?

Do you know what happened just before He sent the plagues to Egypt?

 

I do not ask if you know for knowledge’s sake

I ask if you know it can happen again

Think of the unchecked rape

Think of the rampant homosexuality

Remember the babies murdered

How are we not in desperation

Reaching out to God daily for His will on His earth?

Our nations mimic those long dead

By the decree of the Holy One

And we sit here week after week

Speaking of prosperity

God loves you

You are forgiven

You are a child of God

Tell the other side!

 

God is not only love, He is justice

He doesn’t just bless, but He curses

He doesn’t only promise eternal life

But His last author wrote of a second death

 

You coddle visitors for their tithes

When you’re supposed to be introducing them to the mighty God!

You sit celebrities in the front of your pews

Or shout them out on social media for views

While the few who maintain the church do not know Bible

They know tradition

How to behave

How to fit in

How to fake concern for the things of God

 

The more I see western Christianity, the more I detest it

We shout persecution because we cannot berate

We scream bias when we cannot oppress.

We claim poverty when affording more than just needs

I see why the world shouts hypocrisy

We are hypocrites

Imitators of the world and not imitators of Christ

Sounding like the accuser, the serpent, the lying father

Rather than showing grace, being merciful, and remaining in love and truth

Like the Holy Father

 

Most walk into the church to recharge their ego

“I go to church” is not a badge of honor

But a privilege of mercy

A commandment from the Holy Spirit

Going to church is not to catch up on gossip

But to gather together for declaration

Going to church puts you no closer to the judge’s seat

Than being an atheist

There is only one Judge

We all have evidence to answer for

 

And that is why I am filled with such sorrow…

 

We cling to poverty when God ordained kings

We turn cowardice when God created soldiers

We remain isolated when God commanded evangelism

We hold onto passivity when God demands boldness!

 

I’m tired!

 

Tired of the last miracle we talk about being loaves of bread and fish.

Tired of demons remaining unchecked from the minute they opened their mouth

Sick of priests abusing and raping youthful congregants

Sick of thieves preaching pep talk over Gospel

Be mad all you want about the mockery and laughter

We have made the church a running joke

 

How do we have beef between churches

Who believe in the same God?

Why are we sowing discord when we know

Blessed are the peacemakers?

Why are we hating the people who sin

Rather than the sin by itself?

 

Whole city full of churches and yet there is no revival

A church on every street, yet the widows and orphans are abandoned

Too many want to play police rather than be doctors

Too many show favor rather than unconditional love

 

The Bible says every nation and every tribe will bow

But church folk complain about singing a Korean song

The Bible says come to Me, all who are weary

Yet we turn away the person who doesn’t present themselves “correctly”

We use scripture as weapons against the gays

When the Bible says we should be slow to anger and slow to speak

We tune out the church hurt

To boast in our weak morality

Like the Bible didn’t say we should boast in our infirmities

 

I understand we are human

I understand we battle our flesh

I understand we will sin to our dying day

But how many senseless deaths until we wake?

How many will walk away from the faith

Before we realize we are failing?

 

I dream of a church network

Appreciating Baptist or Pentecostal

Rather than dollar bills and church attendance

I look forward to singing Gospel in seven languages

Rather than signing everything that sounds like Hillsong

I hunger for a church that does not worship their pastor

But Christ and Christ alone

I pray for a church that knows, teaches, preaches, believes, and applies Bible

 

As a member of the choir

I understand

And I weep

We can’t get out of our way

Sounding like Sadducees and Pharisees from back in the day

We’ve regressed with no way to go back

Unless we remove pride

And return to the God we say we love

 

If His people humble themselves and pray

Seeking His face

Turn from their wicked ways

He will hear them, forgive, and heal the land…

Are we not His sons and daughters?



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