Awesome article over at Mark Main's blog "The Untried".
You must go and read it now.
Here's a taste:
"If you have read much of this blog you know that I am not a fan of today's institutional church system for a variety of reasons. I know many don't understand my cynicism.
Churches have spent more money just on buildings in less than twenty years than it would take to eradicate hunger and many diseases from children in Africa. Add in salaries, utilities, and all the other things churches spend money on and I can only guess how much money has been spent simplyon 'the faithful'.
That is why I am so frustrated by what I see marketed as Christianity in this country today. Is spending 28 billion dollars on nice buildings for our Sunday morning meetings more important than showing grace, mercy, compassion, and love by helping those in Africa who are dying at a rate of over 25,000 a day from starvation and preventable disease? Obviously, for American Christianity the answer to that question is a resounding YES. You can claim that isn't the case, but the facts are undeniable. American Christianity has basically said that the sickness and starvation of others isn't nearly as important as it's need for bigger, nicer buildings. Do you realize how perverse that is?"
FULL ARTICLE HERE
4 comments:
Keith - that guy is really good, isn't he? Just kidding. I promise. I'm honored you enjoyed my post, and you are welcome to use anything you would like for your book.
i second that, Keith...Mark this was a good article, very well articulated...I know that my husband already left a comment, but thought I'd leave a shout out here. It was encouraging and sound! Peace, Heather
I really enjoyed this article. I just had a heated debate with a group of pastors the other night on a discussion board about what constitutes "tithing". I said that I was planning on cutting out the middle man and will begin tithing directly to the poor/hungry/homeless and I got blasted. There was pretty much a concensus that if you don't tithe to the church (or the storehouse), then you aren't really tithing.
So, Mark, they would REALLY love your thoughts on church buildings!!:)
Troy,
My thoughts tend not to be very acceptable to lots of people in what we call churches today. Pastors and parishioners both.
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