The church was like a glass museum look but do not touch signs hung invisible to the naked eyes. But we knew, I knew, look but do not touch. The four walls were already too fragile. The starting idea of the church, a non judging place of worship to become closer to the God or God’s that you worship was a great idea. And the structure of those four walls were needed for sanctuary through many decades and battles. But now coming into 2018 the four walls that once offered such serenity to our parents and their parents are now restricting many’s growth in faith. With people judging others over outfit choices, megachurches pushing congregation numbers more than the well being of their church, and the guilt-tripping for tidying, forcing an uncomfortable environment for many within the church. Over the years church as transformed and constructed itself into something that it was supposed to be a sanctuary away from what it has now become. Which why now is the perfect time to redefine church and show how it should not just be four walls. Where a person screams at you for two hours on everything you did wrong in the previous week, but instead should be shifted to anywhere that makes you feel closer to your spiritual being.
Sunday’s best is seen as the one time a week that you have to dress up. Look your best to come before the God or Gods, because they deserve your best. At all times but the problem with that ideology is that within the bible it is described how people of all walks of life, wearing the finest clothes and the poorest. Came to worship within the walls of the church and it didn’t matter what they had on,only what was in their heart. A messages not often preached within the new walls of churches. After my mother went through her divorce with my father we went to church for the first time in over three years. Hoping to find comfort and possibly a safe place to lay out or next move. But instead we received looks of disappointment for our attire of jeans and button ups “girls must wear dresses”. One women spat at us as if we were nothing above the dirt in her perfectly pointed black heels. When you are growing closer to that higher spiritual being the fabric on the skin should not restrict that experience. If anything it should enhance because it shows the being that the person is coming the way they are. Completely themselves no dressing up, no faking, they are coming to them with just the clothes on their back, Trying to grow in their faith and their relationship with them. If the fabric that covers the skin of the person who willing chose to wake up that morning, to come to a place full of liars, and sinners. all in the hopes of gaining a better perspective on their faith and a greater connection with their God or Gods then it is not worth it to take that trip to those antiquated four walls.
Megachurches are beginning to spring up all around the south with the mission statements of a more friendly environment for your family. With a larger place of worship that equals more room for indulgences such as Starbucks, gift shops etc.That will improve your worship experience and connect with the younger generation making them want to return. But the contradiction with that is that the preachers pushing the idea of larger number congregations are the better congregations, are the ones that get bonuses for the more seats filled within their church walls. They benefit at the cost of their congregations relationship with God. While yes, larger congregations can offer great opportunities for socializing and connecting with people in similar situations. But when the curtains close the building of a connection with that spiritual being and that person is completely solo, a private show. So what is the point of the jamming of multiple people into a building to sing songs together if it will do nothing to strengthen the personal faith of the attendants of that church. The only person who can build that bridge between that spiritual being and that person is the person themselves so why squeeze into a building with people that will do nothing to better the personal relationship with the spiritual being of that person.
Tidying is a generous donation to the church of your choice. It help out with the expenses of the church along with allowing them to have money to do other things. Such as helping out in the community, or donating to a disaster fund. But the reality of that is new Churches are businesses, they have to pay for the building the lights, the Starbucks, the gift shop everything you see. And with so much of the money going to the upkeep of these larger than life churches, where is the extra money for donations or community service projects? Well what little money is left is being pocketed for the preachers and others to upkeep the lifestyle that was provided from the tidying of the congregation. Money is not the way to salvation another lesson preached within the walls of the new age churches less and less. But when my mother had little to nothing to her name after my father emptied their joint bank account to get back at her for leaving him. She stood before the altar of a different church asking for guidance and salvation only offering a dollar a week as her tidying. After a month she got a promotion and we were able to move out of our less than desirable apartment to a comfortable townhouse. That is proof that God or Gods does not care what you bring to the table for tiding they only care that you came. The extra pressure on tidying and giving more then you can is put on by our earthy preachers and churches. And so why go to a place that will make you feel uncomfortable for what you can bring to the table for your God. When they do not care about worldly things.
Churches are not all bad and I am not saying that you need to ditch yours completely in order to get closer to God. If that church is helping to foster a healthy relationship between God and the congregation then by all means stay, worship. But if it is causing discomfort because of judgment over articles of clothing worn in the presence of their Lord, the pushing of the “bring a friend” logic is becoming too much, or the tidying is becoming an uncomfortable recurrence for each week. Then leave the old way of church behind, leave the four walls and the stained glass windows behind. In order to seek salvation with independent study or non traditional churches. Because you can reach the same level of salvation within the confines of a two-story massive church that you can reach within a one-story quant Moes as long as you have an open heart and an open mind.
