So let's get this started. I am a Southerner and have grown up in the Church all of my life. I was born on vacation while my parents were missionaries and lived as an MK/PK for 12 years. Everything we did involved Church in some way. Every time we had a major question for our parents, we prayed about it, if we ever missed Church while we were out of town than we would have a morning devotion and were only allowed to listen to Praise and Worship music all day.
These are NOT bad things, but helped shape my childhood and helped me see things in a different perspective than a lot of people. As I entered High School, I started to become aware that there were a lot of odd things people in the Church do or say. The one I always found perplexing was when people told me what I could not do or say in Church, but I witnessed them doing it frequently outside of Church.
I will agree that there are subjects and things that should not be blurted out in Church; but my confusion has always been with the elder Church members that keep telling you not to say or do things in Church. Why is it that I can't say things like "butt", "fart", or "crap" when talking with my peers in between Sunday School and the service? I remember getting very dirty looks when talking to my best friend about "how much crap" I had to do in English class that coming week.
I have always been taught that God always knows what I am doing. Thus it should not matter if I say "kick some butt" in Church or at Football practice. God is still watching and knows what I am saying. So what is the standard that we are creating for our Church Members? Is it OK to say things when we are not in Church? Is it an age thing? So maybe because you are in school you can not talk that way yet. Maybe it's OK for two 80 year old men to stand in the hallways of the church and one ask the other, "Dude, did you just fart"? I have always felt that the more we tell people not to do things in Church, the more they want to do them outside of Church and we will justify our actions through that reasoning. As Christians, I feel we need to work on how we tell people how to live their lives, when we have our own double standards.
(Side Note)
I am finally starting this blog to bring up lots of the issues I always think about that I feel like Christians are afraid to talk about out loud. I find a lot of humor in them and love discussing them with people who get uncomfortable about it. yes, I know I might have a problem. I will credit Author/Speaker/Blogger Jon Acuff for encouraging me through his presentation the other night to get off my butt and do what I love doing. In this case it is writing and letting people know my opinion through sarcasm. His opinions and thoughts inspired a great discussion with a friend of mine pointing out how it is good to hear a Christian make fun of our ways and be candid about being a Christian in the real world.
This will NOT be a copy of Jon's work, and I encourage everyone to check out his blog at: stuffchristianslike.net, and his book on the Amazon promotional thing on this page. I thank Jon for coming to Kairos this past week and speaking to us from the heart. Let's hope this is a good beginning and that I don not get too much ADHD where I space out and stop posting... Just sayin, it could happen.
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