Ryan Davis

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Today was a good day. Well the first part at least (second half has not happened yet).

I decided a while ago that I would not be restricted by Alarm Clocks… I hate waking up to the sound of beeping, I also don’t set the alarm on my phone, not that I don’t mind being woken up by the polyphonic version of ‘Gold-digger”, it’s just not my thing; I want to be awoken when my body, and God, decide I should.

So this morning I woke up around 10:30am (the day before I woke up at 5:30am so this was a welcome change) and a friend of mine called to talk to me about major issues in his life.

I listened. Talked. Gave advice.

He is facing a discussion that is pretty major and cuts to the heart of us post modern/radical/young/idealistic type people, “Can I stay in a “Church” that is opposite to what and where I feel the Church should be?”

It’s a tough decision.

What is the role of the church in this day? Has it changed since the day of Pentecost in 30 ad?

Because the role of the church today would be everything that is anti-Empire and pro-Kingdome. It would be a movement that won through peace not war. Through a sharing in common not a reliance on one rich person. It would be genuine interest in people not using people as a means to an end.

But as a Student and Families Pastor in the United States am I the biggest part of the problem?

I look on Amazon.com, CBD, go to any Christian Bookstore and find hundreds of titles about growing your Church, reinventing the offering plate. You read books about trying to get congregation members to give more, leave money in their will. We treat people like comoddies.

I get calls and mailings about church planners, how people can revamp the way I do things to make church more efficient, get more people, and increase giving. It nearly sickens me not because I think of the better ways our church can spend money but because I know that people have used them. They come recommended, there are blurbs about them. Pastors, Bishops have used them and recommend them.

Sometimes I find myself more focused on our Churches financial problems then the life changing stories of the real people around me. I try to find new creative ways to explain giving, not so our church can do more to end stupid poverty, but so we can pay our website host and our easy worship subscription.

Sometimes I feel as if I work for the empire, I am a Sadducee, I am Caesar’s P.R. guy, I am living in the scandal and doing my best to cover it up.

I am flawed, the system is flawed.

Church is not flawed. Church at its root is people accepting the call to be more then the machines and classes that the empire has told them they are. It is community, people realizing with stuff and things they are incomplete but if they are open to share all things in common, if they see that the Scandal of industry is written into the $10.99 on sale shirt that they bought last weekend and choose to be anti that. That is Church, it isn’t of the world, it isn’t the graphics and cool marketing, it isn’t great speakers that cause us to write big check for a multi-million dollar parking garages so we can get into our air conditioned movie theatre style building faster. It is real people, with hurts, needs, broke and rich coming together for help, encouragement, and life. 

Life though Jesus not stuff.

Life through Saving not Consumption.

May you come to see that the Scandal need to be exposed walked away from. May you see the Church reclaim her dignity, and place in this world. May you be Anti-Empire and Pro-Kingdome. and May you come to the love, grace, and mercy of our God, his Son Jesus, and his Holy Spirit. Amen.