"Now THAT'S a rant."

A friend of a friend "ranted" on the internet about the church and worship and revival...  he expressed a slightly differing opinion than the masses --which I applaud--, but (and, no offense to him) if THAT'S a rant, then Oscar the Grouch is Hitler.

I understand the pressure to be "PC" and not offend anybody.  I understand the pressure to make sure you're not misunderstood... but geez.  Look at the damn Bible.  We have --in timeless written form-- Jesus shouting out in public at well-intentioned religious folk: "You brood of vipers!"  He wasn't PC with his comments.  He saw that what those Pharisees were doing was detrimental to the Kingdom.  He saw that the rules and institutionalization they were pushing on everybody (yep, I just vocabulated) were just tearing down all of the work He was trying to do.  He let it be known publicly and unabashedly that they were doing wrong.

Granted.  He's the Son of God.  He lived a blameless life, so he had every right to throw the stone.  But the thing is, He didn't.  He didn't physically act against them.  He didn't try to overthrow them or kill them.  (put down your pitchforks)  So what did he do?

He vocalized the injustice.  He spoke out about their evil hearts.  He shined the light on their twisted sense of obedience so that others may be wary.

I believe that is the call for every follower of Christ.  I feel like most disciples are too quiet about the fact that "Church as we know it" in America is 90% BS.  Most people just shrug and say, "Yeah, it's not perfect, I guess, but it's all we've got."

WHY IS IT ALL WE'VE GOT??  Since when has discipleship become a passive experience that you take in, like a shot at a clinic???  Since when have Christian leaders risen to the status of "Supreme Dictator" and all the congregation bows before their every whim?  

I'm not looking for a perfect community.  No.  In fact, I'm not LOOKING for anything.  I'm praying and begging God to teach our generation to stop drinking the Christendom sludge that has been forced down our throats.  It's like the parent that stops the kid before he puts the nasty lollipop that he just found under the couch and says, "Do you know where that's been??!"

Christians: do you know where your religion has been??  Do you know why there are denominations? Do you know when and why we shifted from a powerful grassroots faith lead by the Son of God to a castrated institution of ineffective witnessing lead by bureaucracy?  Do you know the difference between Protestant and Catholic?  If you did than you would see that there shouldn't be a difference.  Jesus didn't come to the earth to teach us how to sit politely in pews.

Have we forgotten that God knows our hearts?  Have we forgotten that we are held accountable to the things we do AND DON'T DO?  If you know in your heart that the church you go to is spewing lies and conveying a picture of the Kingdom that is FALSE and you do nothing about it because you feel like you're getting "fed" and at least the children are out of your hair for an hour...  What a sad response to the glory due our King.  

What is a disciple?  I was a part of a church that called themselves, "Disciples Church."  They taught me more than ever before that America has no idea what it means to be a Disciple.  At this church, decisions were made quickly, rashly, and with no biblical or ethical basis.  People were manipulated and guilted every week to quote, "serve" by doing some dumb task within the church that just scratches the congregation's own back.  Will no one walk in Christ's shoes?  Will no one stand up to the Pharisees of our day?  Will no one pray the dangerous prayer: "God, teach me Your way, that I may walk in Your truth" ??