Bryan Young

Ashamed of the Church: Calling is a post in the series “Ashamed of the Church.” The series follows my Lenten vow to honestly, yet respectfully, express my opinions and criticism of Christians and the Church. You’ll want to read the introductory post.

Calling 1. a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence. 2. the vocation or profession in which one customarily engages. (Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary, 2010)

It has become one of the most overused words in contemporary Christian culture. I almost can’t sit through a 20 minute sermon or spiritual conversation without the word being used. Most everyone clamors “what is my calling?”

One of the most obsessive things about us Christians is constantly wanting to know God’s will for our lives. I can’t say I blame us for getting excited about it. I mean, it’s almost like knowing the future, right under knowing the next winning lottery numbers and hot stock picks. Ironically, if we’ve read and understood the bible, we pretty much know God’s will for our lives. If not, the Westminster Shorter Catechism sums it up fairly well: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.”

I believe some churches unknowingly (or perhaps some knowingly) capitalize on a person’s desire to know their “calling.” They provide all manner of classes, resources, and counseling to help people discover how they are “wired”. Then at the end of the program, they provide them with a listing of opportunities to use their personality and the gifts they discovered. Usually that list is exclusively volunteer opportunities in their organization and ones they’re affiliated with. “Nothing strikes you as ‘you?’ Try something. Anything.” And when they find out they don’t fit into any of their predetermined boxes? When they find out they are a square peg and all they have are round holes? Silence truly is deafening. I’m ashamed of that.

Recently, I was interested in a mission trip that will be taking place this fall. I attended the initial meeting, signed up for more information and got a few of the emails. The last mass email went something like this : “If you are no longer feeling called…” To me that implied they only wanted “called” people to go. I didn’t so I honored their wishes and excused myself. I’m wishing I hadn’t but I believe those words were a critical mistake for them.

Five years ago, I took my first mission trip. I was looking for my “calling” and several people suggested I might give it a try. “But which one? ” I asked. They said “Just pick one and go to the information meeting.” I picked the coolest one on the list. It was a trip to the desert of North Africa to encourage a full-time missionary there and help her build relationships with the people while riding camels and camping the desert. Honestly I would have done that for vacation and, well, that’s what bothered me. I didn’t want to take a “vacation for Jesus” as I’d seen others do. I struggled. I prayed. I heard nothing.

So, as the deadline loomed and I needed to make a decision, I called a friend who spent two years in China as a missionary. I asked him “Why China?” He began talking to me about the Great Commission. I stopped him and said “I know that. Why China?” He started talking about the 10-40 window. I stopped him again and said “I know that. Why China?” Finally he said “Jesus, in the Great Commission, asked all of us to go and make disciples. But I went specifically to China because someone challenged me to quit my job and be a missionary in China for a year. I trusted God that if He didn’t want me to go, He’d stop me.”

And so that’s what I did. I trusted God that He would stop me. I went to the training classes for 10 weeks at a time very inconvenient for me. When I needed to fill out the lengthy application, I did. When they asked me for a deposit for plane tickets, I wrote the check. And when they talked about the rest of the money, I could have written a check for that. I was encouraged not to, but to ask for support. I hate asking anyone for anything. One of the others sent almost 100 letters asking for support. I sent 10 and said to God “If any of these people believes in me and what I’m doing enough to send me $1, I will pay the rest myself.” My God is awesome. I didn’t have to write any more checks. So I went and am glad I did. Out of everything that happened (which is the subject for another post), I got one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever received, learned one of the greatest lessons of my life.

Christians believe that man was made in the image of God. The scriptures say we are wonderfully and fearfully made. And yet we are taught (by churches) to distrust our heart and our desires. I’m ashamed of that. Psalms 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart”. The lesson I learned was this: If I’m truly enjoying God, then I shouldn’t distrust my heart or my desires, because He made my heart and He put those desires there. And if God has something specific for me to do, he’ll let me know. Just ask Moses. Or Jonah. Or Paul. God didn’t give me my calling. God gave me my freedom.

Photo credit: markhillary

Ashamed of the Church: Trump cards is a post in the series “Ashamed of the Church.” The series follows my Lenten vow to honestly, yet respectfully, express my opinions and criticism of Christians and the Church. You’ll want to read the introductory post.

We all love to get those trump cards when we’re playing a card game, don’t we? It means that for one round of the game no one can challenge us. Isn’t it empowering to know that, for one moment, you don’t have to answer to anyone?

I believe Christians and the Church are guilty of using God as a trump card in life. A difficult decision has to be made. It’s a close call and likely an unpopular one. An elder board decides to proceed with an unpopular building project (and questionable financing plans), a pastor wants a more contemporary service or to divert money from a debt reduction fund for ministry. Sometimes rather than explain the reasoning and persuade people, it’s just easier to say that God told us to do it, isn’t it? After all, who of us wants to question the decision maker on his relationship with God or whether He spoke to them and in what manner?

I wish it were limited to Church decisions, but it isn’t. A young lady wants to move somewhere else but she’s bound by the remaining 10 months on her lease agreement. So rather than pay the penalty or throw herself on the mercy of the landlord and offer to help find another tenant, it’s just easier to claim God told her to break the lease in a session of prayer. Somehow it’s simpler to break our promises if we can claim God told us to do it. After all, if we had our way we’d follow through but we need to be obedient to God. Right?

A guy decides to move and change jobs. He’s leaving a successful career behind and taking a major pay cut. His friends think he’s crazy, so it’s just easier for him to claim a mandate from God. After all, to explain to his family and friends that he comes alive in that vocation, that it would do his heart good, well that’s just being selfish isn’t it?

A discussion of this behavior came up in the comments of a friend’s blog post and one of the commenters rightly labeled it as the sin of using God’s name in vain. Unfortunately it has become quite prevalent among those identifying with Jesus and I’m ashamed of that. It is almost to the point that upon hearing someone say that God told them to do something, I begin to question their motives and distrust them. Are they being sincere, or just wrapping up their own agenda in Holy language in hopes they will not be challenged?

Do not misunderstand me. I believe that God can and does guide and speak to His people. But because there are so many other forces trying to influence us (the self, our enemy, marketers, etc), it takes incredible discernment to truly hear God’s voice and know it is Him. Developing that discernment I believe begins with the reading and study of scripture and extends into solitude and prayer. I suspect if we truly embraced these spiritual disciplines, we would hear much less of people attaching God’s name in support of matters to which He is indifferent.

Have you ever made a difficult decision based on hearing from God? Were you challenged on your decision and how did you respond?

Photo credit: bram_app

Ashamed of the Church: Disrepect is a post in the series “Ashamed of the Church.” The series follows my Lenten vow to honestly, yet respectfully, express my opinions and criticism of Christians and the Church. You’ll want to read the introductory post.

Recently, I attended the Music City Bowl in Nashville with some friends. As we walked towards LP Field on the pedestrian bridge, we approached a few men holding signs and shouting.  As I got closer and could read their signs and hear their shouts, my heart sank. These were street preachers telling people as they passed they were going to hell. Not one word spoken about grace or forgiveness. Honestly, it was all I could do to maintain my composure.

Before I met Jesus, I dismissed these people as wackos. Shortly after I met Jesus, I thought they were spreading the Gospel. Now I believe they do great damage to it and here’s why I think so:

• These men made the assumption that I (and everyone else passing by them) was not a follower of Jesus. I didn’t know these men and they did not know the paths I had walked with Jesus.  Frankly, I doubt they cared.  They judged me without even asking my name.
• They decided that the best way to introduce me to Jesus was to tell me I was going to hell.  Loudly.  Graphically. In front of hundreds of people.  In short, they had no respect for the very soul they were trying to “save”.

Now, I don’t want to come off as against evangelism. Jesus gives us a very clear commandment in Matthew to “go and make disciples”. I’m not even against street preaching, done respectfully. Jonah certainly preached an unpopular message as he walked through Ninevah. But Jonah was a reluctant messenger. He spent 3 days in the belly of a whale because he wouldn’t even set foot in Ninevah.  As I’ve read the scriptures, its true that I see Jesus talking with people about unpopular subjects. Yet He always respected people and their decisions enough to let them walk away. For sure He got angry, yelled and shouted at people. But He reserved that for the Pharisees and the scribes.  The righteous who should know better.  Church people.

Some Christians have so beaten themselves up about being bold and courageous, they’ve mistaken the command for “go and piss people off” in the name of Jesus.

What are your experiences with Christians and street preachers that have been respectful?  Have you ever encountered situations such as I’ve described?  How did you handle it?

Photo credit: fmerenda

I’m ashamed of the Church. I am not ashamed of Jesus nor am I ashamed of the Gospel.  As today is Ash Wednesday, I’ve decided to give up the censoring filter over my critical thoughts about Christians and the Church.

You are likely familiar with the traditional Christian observance of Lent, the 40 days prior to Easter. During this time, many Christian traditions encourage the faithful to give something up for the season as a way of remembering what Jesus did (and continues to do) for them. My particular denomination doesn’t encourage this, but I took up the practice a few years ago and have found it helpful to me.

I couldn’t think of anything to give up this year. Then the idea struck me that I could give up being critical of Christians and the Church. Something about that didn’t feel right.  Most of those thoughts never become public. Then I thought, what would happen if I stopped censoring those thoughts and let them fly? At first it was just funny, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Perhaps something I say with be convicting and be a loving intervention. Perhaps I will learn to express myself better in critical situations. Perhaps my heart will change.

So over the next 40 days, expect to see entries here detailing some of my disappointments with Christians and with the Church.  And I invite you into conversation about them.

If you know Jesus, please know first of all that my relationship with Jesus is strong and is not wavering. Second, it is not my intent to attack or tear down, but to express my honest opinions and build up. I’ll be basing these writings on my own experiences (9 years as a church member/regular attender and 4 years as a volunteer/leader in ministry), but try to be general enough that I don’t embarrass anyone.  If I touch a nerve and you believe I’m referring to you specifically, send me a note.  If it involves you, I’ll expound upon those thoughts with you privately.

If you do not know Jesus, please do not allow anything I say to push you away from Him. The Church is a family of sorts and as such, has disagreements. Do not necessarily follow the followers of Jesus.  Follow Jesus Himself.

UPDATE 2/18/2010:  The opinions I express here are my own on the church and Christian culture in the United States.  They do not represent those of any group I’m affiliated with. And I am a member of a great church, even though we disagree on minor, non-doctrinal issues at times.

Photo credit: claudinec