Religion Sucks, Relationship Rules

I hate religion. Unfortunately, a big part of Christiandom has become religious. Recent studies by Barna Research Group indicate that evangelical growth in America has been flat since 1995. Barna's research indicates the mainline denominations have had declining numbers for even longer.

What's wrong with our churches in America? The leadership seem to be clueless, they do not possess a Kingdom mentality. However, if you'll ask the increasing numbers of Christians who've filled the pews for years but have since left their churches, you'll find the answers.

Let me set the record straight. I haven't conducted any formal studies or polls. I just listen to long time Christians who've given up on the present day American church.

This is what I've been hearing, but not in any order of importance:

  -Tired of the heirarchy ruling without concern for the pew people
  -Pastor trying to control the sheep
  -Too much emphasis on giving money to the church
  -Leadership demanding allegience to their "vision"
  -Sex scandels involving leaders of the church
  -Financial scandels involving leaders of the church
  -Church is boring
  -Church is impersonal
  -Services are too predictable
  -No life in services, just form

Not a pretty picture for the American church. Now before any Pharisees start looking for rocks to throw, let me say there are churches that don't fit this picture...there must be, I'm sure. I just don't know of any and not within driving distance of any.

Back to religion sucking. Not long ago, I was reading the 4 Gospels, actually skimming them, looking for passages that were included in 2 or more of the 4. I realized something. Jesus had a pretty low opinion of the religious leaders of His day.

Here are a few of the comments Jesus Christ made to the religious leaders of His day:

You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? (Matthew 23:33)

You belong to your father, the devil...(John 8:44)

He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God. (John 8:47)

In some circles of the American church, the talk is of a coming revival. I think were past needing a revival. We need a reformation. Something along the order that Martin Luther started. The church of his day in Europe sucked also. Religion was ruling. But Luther's lightbulb went on (a revelation) that the just lived by faith, not works. Furthermore, he saw that church folk didn't need to "go through" an earthly priest to access God. They actually had direct access through Jesus Christ, the High Priest (Hebrews 7:22-25) to God, the Father.

The reformation we need would eradicate religious thinking from the American church. In it's place would be a relational mindset, especially among the leadership, who would take on a more servitude spirit rather than the present empirical spirit.

Paramount would be that every believer has a relationship with God on a personal level. No more looking down the nose from the pulpits of America that the one standing behind it knew God better than the rest.