Boring Christians

As we all know, Jesus never asked questions. Jesus always knew the right answers, and gave people straight answers that gave them security and comfort as human beings. 

Jesus was concerned that the people around him knew that He knew what He was talking about. Obviously, Jesus’s way is a way of comfort, security, and is risk-free. Minus the whole nailed-to-a-cross thing, Jesus lived a super safe life that never got him in trouble with the law, his parents, or his friends. 

This is why when Christians have questions, they should leave the faith. This is why churches run from issues that are divisive, and no one asks big questions about tradition, because we don’t want to take risks, and be associated with pagans like Rob Bell or Martin Luther King Jr. 

Jesus’s safe lifestyle is an example for all of us to run from questions, because we know our God is not one who can handle questions, push boundaries, or be too radical. The reason I’m a Christian is because I’m looking forward to the good reputation I’ll have a result, and I’ll coast into retirement with no problems, because Jesus guarantees us a free ticket to instant paradise when we give Him our life.

Good thing we chose the safe route…right? 

In fact, what if I dislike almost everything associated with mine?

Christians are known to be anti gay, anti abortion, anti sex, the list goes on. 

And we wonder where all the “negative” stereotypes come from…

Being a Christian so often comes off as trying to keep a clean slate and be a “good person.” However, I believe that “good people” who play by the rules and go through the mundane motions of Christianity hardly ever make a difference.

Since when is playing it safe good enough? Jesus never did.

I’ve realized that I am against so much of the Christian faith— except being outrageously in love with Jesus.

Which is ironic, because that is what the entire religion is supposed to be about. I think Jesus would be appalled to see how little risks Christians today take.

What are you willing to do to love others well?

In a world so screwed up over the concept of religion, I would prefer not to have any distinct association at all. I want people to see Jesus through me— not by what my Facebook status is or how often I go to church, but simply by my actions. I want to love people in the radical way Jesus did. 

And if doing that requires stepping outside the thin lines of my religion, I hope to do so boldly. 

My grandmother grew up in a church denomination called Apostolic Christian (AC). Basically, they’re about as close to Amish as can be without donning bonnets and cutting power lines. As a child, she was not allowed to play cards, dance, go to basketball games, have the ends of her hair show in public, or speak in church. When the church had membership meetings, they were prefaced with a “Dismissal of our sisters”. The men made the decisions, because the women were regarded as automatically second-class.

My mother was raised in that environment as well. She left the AC church when she was 16, and has since become a feminist and still reacts strongly against such extremist views that are prevalent in ultra-conservative sects of Christendom. She has instilled these values in me. My grandmother has also matured considerably, and with the deterioration of the health of my grandfather, has begun making big-deal decisions, and maturing, in a large way, at the age of 80.

However, I think that my grandma would still cringe were I foolish enough to bring up the fact that I’m completely egalitarian (equal gender roles), or the fact that just because gay marriage isn’t sanctioned by the church doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be sanctioned by the government.

I talked with her for two hours straight after telling her that I wasn’t applying to any Christian colleges. It was hard to explain to her that I would endlessly appreciate a Christian context for my college education, but that other factors matter. I assured her several times one of my top priorities in college would be to find an on-campus ministry to live in a Christ centered microcosm within the dreary, impenetrable horrors of undergraduate college.

I love my grandmother. I value her voice, and I know she has untold wisdom of someone that has lived far beyond my years. I’m glad for the fact, however, that I can, in a large way, deviate from the norm, and still be accepted and loved by my family. Here’s to Christ’s all-accepting love coming from family.

Also, I don’t like the term “unchurched,” but on review I have realized that there’s nothing else I can use that’s more PC. More on this next post.

Anyway, I recently went to a talk on this—the differences between traditionalist, annihilationist, universalist, etc. There are a million schools of thought within the church. Here’s a site for a quick run-down if you need it: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/heaven-hell/#1.1

If you look at the original Greek of the New Testament, Jesus specifies two words for heaven, and two words for hell. There is Abraham’s Bosom, and Heaven, and then there is Hades and Hell. The idea in Revelation 21:14 supports this: “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. “ If we are to all die the first death, and only those of us that don’t go to heaven die the second death, then perhaps the second death is an ending of all existence, not just the gateway to eternal damnation and torture.

It’s perfectly possible that us Christians could die and go to Abraham’s bosom (The pre-apocalypse version of heaven) and others would go to Hades (The respective version of hell) and at the time of Jesus’s second coming, Hades along with its contents would cease to exist, and Abraham’s bosom will be vacated in favor of the New Jerusalem. Sounds much nicer than ALL PAGANS WILL BE BURNED FOREVERRRRR.

This annihilationist view is also much more consistent with the loving God picture we have put up with our current obsession with the New Testament; if there is nothing that can separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:39) then are we to just deal with the resulting dissonance that God will also damn us eternally if we do not trust him when given no hard evidence? I feel like there should be something more there. Chances are, if people have been debating it for 2000 years (they have) and if we don’t have a conclusion yet (we don’t) then we will probably continue in our current trajectory.

Considering the current view of the church, especially in America, I think it is high time we get off of our soapboxes and start loving people and stop threatening them with eternal damnation. If we are unsure of what will happen in the afterlife, then why is it imperative to stick to the traditionalism view? Annihilationism, after all, seems more consistent with a New Testament God and is theologically supported. If this issue arises with someone, my suggestion is not to just gloss over the issue, but to try and explain that we don’t know, and that there are a lot of stupid Christians out there yelling about hellfire. Stress that you don’t like them either.

There’s a relatively new (and controversial) book out called “Love Wins” which discusses this. I would encourage you to read it, but I haven’t read it. Maybe you should. This is a big topic to only devote one blog post to.

 I feel like too many times, our modern-day church leaders train us to believe in our faith, but not examine it. When I joined the football team, I started asking random people crazy questions about their thoughts on life and death. Why? I’m not sure of the specific reason, but it was definitely not to try to convert anybody. My faith at that point was a very nonchalant item in my life (Freshman year High School). However, this guy Tyrone started asking me questions about my faith. It started with the question we all boring christians one day encounter, and act like a deer tied to the railroad tracks when it hits. Ready….WHY? Yes, the infamous three letter word weighing in at half a vowel and two consonants stump us all in our journey of spiritual maturity. Why should you believe in a God you can’t “prove?” Why are you obeying rules that suppress your natural desire? Why do you christians rarely ever know these answers these days? So the last one I wrote, but it’s a sad fact that has been proven many times in my life. Mostly because when a religious person converts to a life with less religion, they probably do so because they could not find the answers to these questions after much thought and decide to leave the shady answers behind and just live without the “instability”. “Much thought” are the key words here, I’ve seen modern Christians stop thinking when they are prosed a question that challenges their faith. Probably because they don’t know the answers themselves. So they say, “because I have faith” or “I know he’s there because I feel him.” At this point the questioner grins because they know that it’s not as “straightforward” as an answer than 2 + 2 = 4. If you are discouraged by that last point, try to figure out why. What is very very very misconceived is that a mature faith needs those questions to grow. Whether it be from inside your head, or someone telling you. Tyrone was that person telling me on the football field years ago. This spurred questions and “unfaithful christian thoughts” (I’ll explain those later) to be injected into my daily life. I’m a stronger Christian because of him. And unfortunately, it was not my church or small group that I brought him to that kept those questions flowing. In a very extreme sense, Tyrone’s questions were even a tad persecuted because they can be confused for having “doubt.” Not the case. If you believe in something, you should know why.

1 Peter 3:15 - “…always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”

I was born into a Christian family, and I don’t remember the moment the clouds parted, the spirit poured itself on to me, and I was instantly healed of polio and my addiction to hard drugs ended simultaneously. In fact, I have never had a significant stretch of time in my life in which I felt far from God.

At the same time, I’m not lukewarm. I’m in the process of discovering more about God and myself every day, and deepening my relationship with him. I read the bible regularly and take ownership of my faith. But I don’t have a massive story that I can tell people about my life before Christ or anything of that sort.

However, boring christians are cool: our lack of a flash pot story makes our existence an anomaly.

So what does that mean? Why are we making a blog about it?

I go to Willow Creek Church, and it’s a friggen huge mega church in Suburbia, IL. I love my church and I value it a lot, but I’ve noticed that sometimes us boring Christians get swept under the rug in favor of those of us that have cool stories. However, I’d like to push the thesis, that being born and raised Christian and being able to walk with God from day one is really quite a wonderful thing. I have had a life completely full of life in Christ. There are advantages and disadvantages to this, and no one ever talks about us. So, let’s talk.

In fact, I have never singlehandedly brought someone to Christ. I’m a big promoter of the actions speak louder than words approach to evangelism. (It is one of my bottom spiritual gifts.) I get deeply uncomfortable with my more “spiritually brave” friends invite me to street evangelism parties. At best, I think they seem uncreative and may put people off, and at worst they completely lack depth and may warrant atheist street violence.

Is that bad? Does that mean I’m a bad Christian?

I have put a significant amount of thought into this and have decided that no. In itself, that does not mean I am a Bad Christian.

The very existence of evangelism as a spiritual gift, rather than a fruit of the spirit, seems to suggest that some are blessed with particular strength in it, and some are not. There’s also a large part of the whole discussion around spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians that focused not on expanding the church, but edifying it. Perhaps in our mega church, numbers-focused way of dong church we have forgotten that most of the Pauline epistles were written to PRE EXISTING churches: Yes, Paul was out there planting churches as well, but his most enduring work, the epistles now a part of the biblical cannon, are sent to people growing with God, not just those who are first encountering God.

So no, it is not a bad thing to avoid evangelism. In fact, your calling may be to embrace and lead those already calling Jesus their Lord and Savior. How cool!

Hello everyone, right now “everyone” is just a few friends. And that’s how this website is being started, with a small group of people. I have been raised in an average christian home, went to church (a megachurch, yep), and when my high school teaching pastor pushes us to share testimonies…I am at a loss. I did not do meth at the age of three, I was not addicted to drinking and saw the light at the end of my road. I guess you can say, I just grew up with non-radical events in my life.

At the same time, I didn’t. Everyone’s story has a beautiful meaning. This is true without a doubt. Even if you don’t have the date of when you were saved tattooed on your arm, you can still have an interesting story. And if you do have a “stage-worthy” story, nice! All power to you to spread the epic story of your transformation to people. But for those who feel slightly discouraged by the tragic testimonies and uneasy in your faith because you can’t pinpoint when you were converted exactly. This is the place to find friends, answers, and stingy questions that will probably test your faith, but hopefully put you in a better place. So here it is, A Boring Christians Blog…(fanfare and confetti whisking in the air). Were here to grow. No matter the story.