I just love this one.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
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About Me
- Cindy Bryan
- Married 24 years to Keith. We're parents to a fantastic 9 year old whom I homeschool. We live in the country about 25 miles south of Montgomery, Alabama. We have an old pony named Cupcake and a teenage horse named Wrangler. Keith and I currently lead worship music at our church.
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9 comments:
Some of us just aren't that coordinated!
Ouch.
How appalling true in many places.
It's saddening to me to watch the downward spiral of how "Church" is portrayed. This cartoon, in particular, because it seems so disrespectful. That would be like having a picture of a home with hoops outside for your child to jump through to get in. My child probably does have to behave in a respectful manner, participate in the household chores, etc. But, that's not jumping through hoops- that's teaching her what she needs to know for a humble, loving, and connected life. In this way, "Church" will, and does have tenents, beliefs, etc. If you step outside them, God doesn't love you less....just like a parent doesn't love a child less.
I don't know. Coming from a different Christian Background than most (Orthodox Christian), it made me cry to see this cartoon. When I walk into church, I feel encomapssed with love, relieved to set aside daily worried, blessed to have such a sacred spot to come and worship in a multi-sensory atmosphere (icons, incense, candles) Everything is treated as hallowed ground, as you come to approach God himself. And I'm humbled in the experience. The service is repetitive and very similar each week to prevent the stress and uncertainty of an ever changing service.
If this is not your experience with "church" why stay? Instead of all the negativity, which can't be productive, why not leave.
I just couldn't help but notice all the negative discussion (including the "backwards" post) lately and all the bloggers willing to jump on the bandwagon. I don't usually post on blogs. I guess I am posting now - for the other side- the side that doesn't seem to be getting a voice here.
May God bless and lead you all through this lenten period. I hope you find peace in worship somewhere this season.
Cheyl
Cheryl-
Thanks for you comment. I can see that, once again, we come at this from drastically different perspectives.
I post these types of things for myself and for others who, though we deeply love the Church, see ways in which some of her "parts" are not on the right track. If you love your child who has gone terribly wrong, do you walk away-- or do you try and try and try to correct their erring ways? I know you- and I know you wouldn't walk away. Even if your child/church offended or wounded you deeply.
You probably don't know that this cartoon was drawn by a pastor who very much loves the church, but has suffered at her hands. Yet he persists.
If there were a simple solution, the hundreds of thousands of us in this particular boat would have taken it. As it is, we persist. We look for community in our frustrations. We care for one another as a new embodiment of the church even as we look to remedy what we see going wrong in our local communities. We need this electronic camaraderie.
It isn't disrespectful to observe the realities of life. The Bible shows us time and again that God never asked for the truth to be hidden, nor did he sugar-coat the failings of His people. He proclaimed their wrongs through His prophets and called for corrections. Even drastic ones. Jesus wept over Jerusalem because He knew how far she would go from God's plan. He turned the tables in the Temple- not out of disrespect, but out of overwhelming love.
The Church has gone wrong many, many times throughout the ages, and it was only through the courage of those who would dare to stand against it--even facing death-- that she was changed and made more like the image of Christ as she should be.
The prophets of the day are decrying a new era in the life of the Church-- similar to the radical reformations that have occurred roughly every 500 years since the birth of Christianity. It is a new day, and the heralds of the new day shouldn't be chastised for proclaiming what they see.
I'm so glad you can't relate to these posts! Be thankful! I've always tried to treat your views of faith with respect and honor, though your experiences are not at all like my own. I hope you will try to regard with compassion those of us who also love the Church, though differently than you.
Cheryl - I do believe we all come from different experiences, and therefore can only speak from each of our own perspectives. While I'm thankful the point of this cartoon has not been true for you (and yes, it very well have much to do with the Orthodox tradition you belong to), unfortunately I know so many people who have been hurt in the way this cartoon suggests.
In my blogging experience, I have made many gross generalizations about Church -- meaning ALL churches...however I have tried to learn from my pain and own the fact that I have been unfair. Today, I admit that my experiences are narrow, just as anyone's are, and the things I have said are not true for everyone or for every church.
However, this cartoon is entirely accurate in my experience. The hoops don't consist solely of reasonable expectations such as being respectful etc., but of far more specific and nearly impossible standards of behavior. Standards that were never dictated by God in His book, but have been imposed upon us by those who claim to be "in the know" about what God demands, and who believe it is their duty to force everyone to comply.
I am one person who is a voice of dissension against this type of spiritual abuse, as Cindy said. It's time for some streams of church that have become misguided to change course again, away from the worship of man, as is so common in evangelical circles, back to Jesus' mandates to be compassionate towards all people.
Again, if your experience isn't in evangelicalism, then you may not have been exposed to this mentality.
I'm gald for the responses to my post. All too often, blogs become an extrememly one-sided dialogue.
Erin- thank you for taking the time to respond. I agree with alot of what you said. Especially that we all look through experinces in our own kind of "narrow lense." I obviously fall into this category. I just wanted to point out that I did fell like there have been gross generalizations made about the Church recently. And, that there are many churches (not just Orthodox ones) that are holy, sacred, non-abusive places to worship.
Cindy- I have the utmost repsect for your journey these past few years. You truly keep searching for truth, and a christian lifestyle. It is something I admire greatly about you and hope that my post did nothing to convince you otherwise.
With that being said, I of course, would never leave my child. I think the comparision got a little skewed, however. I compared jumping hoops to get into a church with jumping hoops to get into a home. So when I ask why don't some people leave their church, if the church has ceased do anything for them than cause negativity & anxiety; I would compare that to asking why I wouldn't leave a home under those conditions. I can tell you that If my home was a negative, abusive, uninspired place...if it ceased to be a Christian based marriage, I would take my child and leave. Maybe some would stay and try to change their plight. I don't know if I view that as courageous or naive.
Anyways, I just want to reiterate the existence of Churches that do worship in a Godly, long existing, never changing, loving, compassionate way. I truly meant no offense. I just wanted to spread what I believe to be true also.
Cheryl
Cheryl- I feel that I've miscommunicated to you. Although, as Erin alluded, there are plenty of instances of specific abuse by churches, my personal frustrations aren't with one congregation. As you pointed out, I do make generalizations. It isn't a matter, for me, of hopping to a "better" church. My current congregation is basically the same as most others I see around me. The ache in my heart is to be part of the change that moves the Church in a better direction. I don't include Orthodox, or Catholic churches into my thinking because I have no involvement with them or any practical knowledge of them. Yes, I could just quit entirely, but I don't feel that is what God would have me do right now. It isn't God whom I feel has failed, but the people of His Church. The problem can't be fixed by going around the corner to somewhere that better suits my tastes. It is, as they say, a systemic problem that can only be repaired with far reaching organic changes. Maybe that's what you would call naive. For now, though, it's where I live and breathe and can do no other.
Cheryl - Sorry I haven't been able to return to this conversation sooner; life is like that.
Just to clarify; I DID leave the church. I walked away from an abusive relationship because if I stayed, I would have died. (That is a long story, I'm afraid.) In my case, the problem wasn't just in the system as a whole, but also abuse caused by some specific individuals who I needed to remove myself from.
Erin-
I'm sorry to hear that, but glad you had the strength to survive through whatever the situation was.
Again, thank you for taking the time and energy to respond to me.
Cheryl
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