The Corruption of the Church

I was in a Christian church the other day, and as I looked around, I couldn't help but feel sick to my stomach. I didn't know if it was the latte that I had just finished at Starbucks (conveniently located at the back of the sanctuary), or if it was the position of the high-back rocker that I was sitting in. Then, it struck me. I came to the realization that the pastor that was rambling on in front of me was one of the better businessmen in the city. I looked around at the assets that he had established, and I mentally congratulated him for his achievements. This lead me to my next thought: "This church makes money hand over fist."

The weekend before, my wife, some friends and I visited a small baptist church on the north side of town. As we sat there, listening to the opinions overflowing from the pulpit, the pastor said, "...as for those Christians that don't attend church, if there is such a thing..." I looked at my wife, sitting to my left, and my friends, sitting to my right, with my mouth open. Why did he feel the need to categorize a large percentage of the population as degenerate? Was he simply trying to place that thought in the minds of his congregation? Perhaps, but I would hardly give him that much credit of forethought (or strategy).

I realized the cause of my nausea. As I looked around at the faces of the people, I saw a sea of academy award-winning actors and actresses. The people looked as though everything in life was working out as they had hoped, but you had to know that, out of 10,000 people, there would be a few that were overwhelmed with depression, drug addiction, or worse -- apathy.

I don't think that the term, "church," means the same thing today that it meant from the mouths of the apostles. Behind the pulpit stands a man that is either a good businessman, or orator that has an audience to listen to his opinions; most of which include a list do's and don'ts. Are we learning how to live as Christ followers through the difficult paths of life, or how to mask our emotions in a swell of opinions that are out of touch with reality?