Trading Chandeliers

The wedding was beautiful. I will talk about it more when I am not so ticked at the Hotel for internet travesty that happened earlier. Geeze Louis. I do have a few minutes here so I am going to share something. God has been smacking me in the face with something lately. The poor and the Church. The beautiful wedding this weekend even served as another huge reminder of Christ and His Church. Now, I don't want to add to the huge pile of blogs, articles, anti-white-American-songs, news-interviews-railing-rich-preachers given by Katie-the-sweetie Couric. I simply just want to ask you, the Church to begin again with me to dream. Ignite the true fire of the Gospel.

I am starting to see that what bothers me and many people about the American Protestant Church. We are coming to the horrible realization that we are rich. We are richer than the Church has ever been. As a matter of fact, we could probably wipe out world hunger with all of our wealth. We seek to build a society, a Kingdom here on earth by building churches that have schools, coffee shops, work-out facilities, racquet ball courts, etc. The ever knawing question remains in our soul. The poor are dying all over the world. The poor are dying blocks away from each of us. I drive by hospitals everyday on my way to Church. Every time I pass by I ask myself this question: What if all the money that went to a big huge Church building program went to pay the medical bills of people who can't afford treatment?

While the Church cannot solve the insurance disgrace that has gone on in this country, and we certainly aren't responsible for it, we are responsible for the poor. So responsible in fact, that our very salvation could depend upon it. So there we sit, every Sunday morning, in a perfectly designed, incredibly expensive building while there are poor people blocks away, and sometimes IN THE CHURCH that can't pay their medical bills. We build multi-zillion dollar buildings, pay pastors 6 figure salaries, and there are people from all walks of life who can't pay their electricity, who are jobless, can't pay their car payment and can't pay for or even GET medical insurance which would put them in the care of good doctors, therefore they die. We don't have to look around the world or wait till Avalon comes to town and send money off to the Mercy Ships. The mercy ships are right down your streets. They are called Hospitals. In those hospitals are some very sick and poor people.

When Katrina hit Houston, the Church shined like a burning Star. What if we acted like there was a Katrina all time.

Let me get a little Church Lady on us here. What if we repented. Repent literally means to "change the way you think." What if we didn't think so highly of ourselves that we build massive, beautiful, extravagant buildings, say they are for the Lord, when the marble floors and chandeliers are so we can feel good about where we come to socialize, in turn hopefully attract some of the wealthy and powerful in the community so they can socialize right along with the best of us. Sure we meet and worship, and in the best of circumstances lives are changed and God uses the praise of his people to heal families, marraiges, and even work medical miracles, but honestly, we can do that in a gymnasium. Christ has called us to more.

We are spending our money in the wrong places people. I am sure of it. 50 million dollar buildings? 10 MIllion Dollar buildings? I am afraid we are suffering a bit of what the Catholic Church exprerienced in the medieval period. The only difference is that Churches hire CEO's for pastors (many very good men, CEO doesn't equal jerk) instead of Shepherds. CEOs do what they do best, rake in the money. Manage huge budgets and build bigger and better buildings. Its a turf war in some cases. Big huge billboards put up, advertising a certain Church across town when the billboard is blocks away from a small un-glamorous Church. In the medieval era, the rich and the aristocracy got the big Bishop and Pope positons, now Churches look for business degrees. That is no jest either.

Let yourself immagine a scenerio. It may be naive, and rough around the edges but I can't help but get excited at the prospect. What if a Church decided to raise 8 million for a new building. The work and pledge and work and pledge. Within the year they raise it. (They are in a wealthy community) Something strange happens. Even though they raised the money, at the beginning of the fund raiser, they decided that all the money, save a few thousand to remodel or build economically, was given totally to pay the medical bills of those in need. Pay for that expensive Cancer treatment that the poor family can't afford. Pay for that heart transplant. Pay for that Bone Marrow Transplant and here is the Kicker... There is no discriminating the person or persons helped. It is done without condition. True Samaritans. Sure beats tracts and chandeliers in my book. It may in fact start to resmeble the Love and compassion of a certain Savior who gave all that he had so that we could be with Him, know Him, and be known by Him. Maybe I am dreaming a little too grand. Maybe God wants to have a big fancy gillion dollar piano instead of the money being spent on an important transplant that some kid needs. Maybe. If you had that money, and you had the choice, which would you choose.

Obviously this opens up a whole city of cans inhabited by worms. But at least it could get us thinking a bit. Right now I am just trying to change the way I think. And right now I think that Chandeliers in a Church kinda suck in Comparison to Compassion.