Out Of The Mud

I couldn't believe what I was hearing, especially since I had known the person for over two years. It was a simple message at a YWAM community meeting in Holland near the end of our European outreach. Just some worship songs, a piece of reader's theatre, and a short message. For those of you who know me you wont be surprised that the minute the opportunity to speak had presented itself my hand shot into the air (as it always does). I'm not a spotlight hog, nor am I one of those people who is always gunning for the center of the stage. I wanted off the stage all year actually. But I do love to teach and preach, I guess it's something about helping people to see God in a different, more orthodox way, that really appeals to me. I've fallen flat on lessons a couple of times of course, but that's true about every aspect of performer, teacher, or Pastor. Anyway, I digress. I saw the question coming, "Have you prayed about it?" Well, of course not I thought to myself, did you see how fast my hand went up....not exactly a whole lot of time to pray there. I didn't say any of that, I just kind of stammered and looked confused which apparently said a lot more than I would have verbally. The next statement was "I don't want you to volunteer unless you're sure God is laying a specific message on your heart." My next thought was probably not very sanctified...so I'll spare you. Long story short, I confirmed my conviction to speak and went to pray and prepare. A great message came to me during that time.
The next installment of the saga was being informed that my message was to be a testimony of God's goodness throughout my experience of the accident. Well, that's sort of what it was so I affirmed it, and agreed (though tactfully substituting the word message for testimony). An accident testimony would've sounded like this...I almost died, but I didn't. I went through three invasive and dangerous operations and came out the other side with a stiff neck, and occasional kidney pain. Oh yeah, and my wife and I are quite in as much debt as we should be. As the week waned on I began to get confused about whether I should rock the boat and deliver the message, or submit and do what my leader had said I was going to do. I prayed about it and decided that it would be better to be on my leader's bad side than the Lords. I'm not too keen on boils these days after all. Besides I had my convictions to consider, and the soundness of the message speaking something specifically constructive for people to hear. I wasn't going to short people out of a meal by offering them a candy bar that just taste good and distract them from the true meal they should have had. The message went great, and the people at YWAM Holland were touched and edified. The only people on my team that had anything to say were my wife, and my friend Wells. I was discouraged.
That experience catalyzes a lot of thought into the general over spiritualized atmosphere of modern Christianity. Most Christians these days would rather pray and cry of Africa than actually go there and help, and there is a general thought that good intentions should count for something? What will happen to the church when my generation takes leadership just to sit in a circle for an hour so they can say "We really moved the Heavens that time."? The hungry will still be hungry, and the Gospel will be lost. Actions, and rational thoughts are spiritual too, we don't need to pray about somethings like charity, or where to go on missions trips. We can look at the needs around them, and sacrifice ourselves to meet them, we can look into our hearts and realize that we've always wanted to go to Nepal, or India. Christianity, when it's simple, is more dangerous to it's practitioners. So, we've complicated things through the guise of spirituality, and touchy-feely candle lit worship services. We've traded the real Jesus for one that gives a thumbs up for our complacency and says "Hey man, don't worry about it, what could you have done anyway?"