“I can’t stand your religious meetings.
I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
When was the last time you sang to me?
Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That’s what I want. That’s all I want.”
- Amos 5:21-24
The previous verses have been taken from The Message. A contemporary translation of the Bible.
These verses have been playing over and over in my head for the last two weeks. It is like that catchy song that once you hear it you can't forget it and find yourself singing it unintentionally. We read the Bible and try to place it in its historical setting but many times forget that it is just as relevant today as ever. I am quite honestly sick of the perversion that we have allowed to come int the church. We have not only allowed it to come into the church but we have embraced it and too many times taught it to our people.
We build our churches and spend millions on furnishings. Why? Because it pleases God? Because we are doing it to show how much he means to us? No because it justifies our materialistic lifestyles. If I am willing to support the church's desire to become commercial friendly than I can justify the 52" plasma screen television I buy. (note to reader I don't have the television but dream of it). We do not spend thousands of dollars on marketing to show Christ true concerns we spend it so we look better than the church a mile down the road. I believe we are more like the Israel we read about then we are willing to admit! Amos was trying to get across to the hard headed Jews that God could care less about their ritualistic feast and slogans and goals. Amos is telling us God could care less about our branding, the color of our sanctuary, or if we sit in chairs or pews. Some how these things seem to dominate the thoughts within our churches.
I find it sad but true that church has become a ritualistic form of worship for so many people on Sunday mornings. Just as Israel was practicing religion and not focusing on true worship so do we every Sunday morning. Lets face it how many times have we heard about the "anonymous" gift being given but know that the little old lady on the third row whose husband died two years ago faithfully gives all she can only to be overlooked. When we sing our songs do we sing him to God or so the people next to us can admire our voices? Do we even pay attention to the words? I find many times that when I actually think about the words I can't manage to get the words out because my throat swells up with a giant lump in order to fight the tears. You ask why fight them? Isn't that what we are taught to do? Sing the songs, go through the motions? We have a schedule to keep. If we experience revival in our churches we must do so by 11:45 so we can make it to lunch on time.
We ask where is God in times like this? How do we see God in this situation? I sometimes wonder if he isn't saying the same thing. Where are the Christians in all of this? Where are my followers in this situation?
