Tag: church

Diversity and inclusivity

~ K ~ Leave a comment

I found a new church last fall but have only really begun attending in earnest in February or March of this year. New job, new church, who dis?

It’s the kind of church I’ve been looking for but thought I’d never find: diverse and inclusive. Solid Biblical preaching while also being LGBTQ+ affirming. All kinds of races, ages, and genders. Single people are valued just as much as people who have partners. It’s kinda scary how much I love my church TBH. Nothing in life can be this perfect.

It’s a complete 180 from where I’ve come: my church has a female pastor and sings worship songs that I probably would’ve made fun of 3 years ago. (The songs are growing on me actually. But my son doesn’t care for them.)

I’m also at a job that is diverse and inclusive. These are specific areas that I’ve wanted to target in the past few years, and I feel blessed that God is providing these opportunities.

Deconstructing, then reconstructing

~ K ~ Leave a comment

After deconstructing and finally reconstructing my faith, I’ve found a church 15 minutes away from me that is diverse (many races and ethnicities) AND inclusive (LGBTQ+ and others).

When I started my journey of looking for churches, all I came across were mainline churches primarily made up of white people. Specifically older, white people. I’ve been token Black person before and it was a role I did not like. Me having to count whether I was the darkest-skinned person in the room or if there was someone else like me.

I did Google searches like crazy trying to find a church that even looked diverse. A church that was openly LGBTQ+ affirming. I searched for months and just couldn’t find any place I wanted to visit.

Then my current church came up and I checked out their website. They had different races of people, different ages, different genders, and different sexual orientations. Not excluding any group of people was an important aspect for me. To not judge. Or rather, learn NOT to judge.

I began attending the 8:30 services, which felt like more of a cozy Bible study rather than a pontific church service. I had the opportunity to meet the senior pastor, the elders, the deacons, and the interns. The pastoral leadership looked as diverse as their website showed. No token people, good expository preaching, and hey!—a female pastor! Couldn’t get any better. Finally, when I felt comfortable enough at the church, I switched to the 10 o’clock service. I attended a few times before venturing to bring my kids with me.

My daughter loved it. She had never been around so many people. Especially those who sang and danced. She had fun picking up flags and waving it around during the worship time. But there’s a toddler room open and she enjoys being there, too. My son who’s going into third grade, sits with me during worship before he gets dismissed for children’s church. He’s uninterested in song worship so I usually have to take books along with me for him to read. But he seems happy to go to children’s church.

I’m slowly trying to become more involved with church activities. I am pretty nervous about putting myself back out there because there’s always the risk of getting hurt. And I’ve been burned by 2 churches and I don’t want to get burned by another one. I think if things went sideways with my current church, I probably would no longer attend church for a long time. Being vulnerable is a 2-edged sword: you can create some very good relationships but you can also get extremely hurt.

So here I am, trying to be vulnerable with my church (probably the last church I will be) and accept love, compassion, and care. From everyone there.

I am no longer Aunt Jemima

~ K ~ Leave a comment

Wow. I reread a blog post of mine from 2017 and realize I have changed a lot of the positions I held 5 years ago. Consider the following:

I have since learned that several members of the black community have turned their backs on me after learning that I am pro-life and do not support Planned Parenthood. If this is what isolates me from the black community, so be it. I will fight for the right for developing cells/human beings/fetuses/babies to live.

–Me

I won’t get into details about this, but I think Planned Parenthood (PP) provides a very good service to underserved communities and is an important part of the American healthcare system. I had a personal experience with PP (not an abortion) that convinced me to change my mind.

And then there’s the issue of reparations for black people. No, thank you. White people can keep their money and their land. See how well reparations worked out for Native Americans? Government-protected reservations with high crime rate, high gambling problems, high suicide rate, high drug use, and high alcohol use. Nope. No support for reparations from this here colored girl.

–Me

I have changed my position on this as well. Mainly because I’ve read about how the US and France economically ripped financial independence from Haiti. The New York Times performed an exposé on how Haiti has become one of the poorest countries in the world. And after reading the articles, I now believe that Haitians are overdue for reparations from the US and France. If I feel this way about my Haitian heritage, who am I to argue against slavery reparations from the US? The US done a lotta stuff wrong and they needs to go about making it right. I don’t care if it costs billions of dollars. The US prints money on air. Haitians and Black Americans need the US government to acknowledge its harm done to Black people in both countries. And they need to monetize that somehow. France needs to do it for Haiti, too. I encourage you to read all of the New York Times articles regarding to the Haiti project.

So the long and short of it is, black people and I just don’t get along. It’s taken me 35 years to realize this but better now than later. I will never have a black BFF. And I need to be OK with that. Because I have so many wonderful friends—of all other races, though mostly white—who I can rely on.

–Me

I get along pretty well with just people of color in general now. It’s been wonderful to have diversity within my friendships and community. One of my BFFs, the wife of one of my cousins, is El Salvadorian (and helping me to learn Spanish!). In a previous job, I worked with so many BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) that I realized it wasn’t just about skin color. It’s about who they are as people. And so many of them were wonderful. And as BIPOC, we were able to share experiences with each other in ways that white people could not understand.

I’ll probably never have a Black BFF and that’s okay. But I’m friends with a lot of first-generation Americans who are BIPOC. I have learned to surround myself with supportive people no matter their race. And that’s all that really matters.

Except no lie, I didn’t want to go to an all-white church and be the token Black person. But that’s another rant for another day.

Audience of One

~ K ~ Leave a comment
A painting by Sophia Foutres
Art by Sophia Foutres

I went to a Pride event over the weekend to support my church, and my elder, Sophia, who was selling her art. I glanced over her art, mostly deciding to observe and not buy.

Then I saw a piece of art titled “Audience of One.”

If you wonder why this piece of art struck me and spoke to me, please scroll to the top of this blog and look at my tagline.

I attended a prayer meeting at my church last Tuesday and it’s named “Prophetic Prayer and Worship.” Definitely lots of worship. We did some praying but my prayers were mostly self-centered.

  • I am too blessed to be here.
  • Everything is going right in my life. Other people need prayer more than I do.
  • I don’t deserve to be here

I decided that once the meeting had ended, I would slip out quietly and alone, as I usually tend to do.

Sophia saw me from across the room and came over to welcome me. I exchanged words with her briefly before a woman in the Children’s Ministry came over to me and said, “I have a Word for you.” I stared at her, baffled, because I had no idea what that meant.

She said, “God told me to tell you that ‘he hears you, he sees you, he loves you, and he is with you.’ Does that mean anything?”

And in a few minutes, I was crying because those were all of the things that I felt like God wasn’t doing. I cried for quite a bit, but it’s something I needed. God could’ve chosen anyone else in the world to talk to. But he chose me. Or even if it wasn’t “God,” the lady felt compelled to tell me those things out of everyone else in the room.

So I’ve been seeing God’s hand in different things and speaking to me in different ways ever since.

So when I came across the painting above, I definitely knew that wasn’t a coincidence—that was God speaking to me in the most important way he knew how.

Signs and symbols are different for everyone, but God knows just how to speak to me and reach me.

He hears me. He sees me. He loves me. He is with me.

2022 Goals

~ K ~ 3 Comments

@vikayatskina on freepik.com

The last time I posted an entry to this blog was July 5, 2021. It’s now June 4, 2022, and I’m posting my goals mid-year. I’ve had an urge to begin blogging again, but I’ve set my mind to it before and have never been able to commit. At least for now, I will post my 2022 goals. For a long time, I’ve struggled against having goals because I was focusing too much on trying to survive and be a full-time working mom. What did goals really matter in the end anyway? The days of reading 500+ books in a year and attending conferences were no longer a thing.

But why can’t I bring them back in a revised fashion?

A few things from my 2020 goals (since I didn’t post goals for 2021):

  1. Read 6 full books for the year.
  2. Exercise 1x per week for at least 10 minutes.
  3. Meditate 3 days per week.
  4. Eat 1500 calories or fewer 2x per week.
  5. Blog or journal 3 days per week.
  6. Morning devotions (Bible reading & prayer) 1x per week.
  7. Duolingo: 4x per week for at least 15 minutes.
  8. Go to church 4 times this year.
  9. Visit New York 4 times this year.
  10. Self-care once per month.

Updated 2022 goals (ambitious for only 6 months left!):

  1. Read 1 book in its entirety this year. (And I’m making sure that’s The Doctor by C.S. Poe.)
  2. Exercise 3-4x per week for 15 minutes or more. (Currently doing LIIFT4 on Beachbody on Demand and looking forward to LIIFT More in August!)
  3. Pray 3-4x per week before exercising.
  4. Track my nutrition on MyFitness Pal and BOD tracking (Portion Fix).
  5. Blog 1x per week. (Let’s see if this is attainable!)
  6. Journal at least 1x per week. (Stuff you’ll never see. Muahahaha.)
  7. Go to church 2x per month. (I attend a new church!)
  8. Schedule 2 massages for the rest of the year.
  9. Do the best that I can at the job I have. (This is a vague, nonmeasurable goal, I know.)
  10. Learn to be as productive as I can from other women who are inspiring. (This is also a vague, nonmeasurable goal, but it’s here.)

Here they are. Let’s see what happens by January 2023.

The Evolution of My Christian Beliefs

~ K ~ 1 Comment

It’s not hard to put into words what I’m thinking and feeling—verbally. Writing it down is another story.

A lot of what I believed previously has changed and evolved. I no longer buy into the fundamentalist teachings of yore. I also don’t buy much evangelical teaching either. Apparently, there’s a group of #exvangelicals on Twitter. These are former evangelicals who no longer associate themselves with fundamental Christianity. Maybe some of them are still Christians, of which I am one. But others have become atheists, agnostics, or have decided to pursue a different religion altogether (eg, Buddhism). A friend who has become an agnostic exvangelical sent me a helpful link that defines who falls into exvangelicalism.

I’m a weird mix of Calvinism and progressive Christian beliefs. How do you merge Calvinism with progressive Christian beliefs? I actually don’t know. But I do it.

Continue reading “The Evolution of My Christian Beliefs” →

A Religious Manifesto of Sorts

~ K ~ Leave a comment

CrossI’m having a crisis of faith right now. I believe in God and I believe in Jesus. I just… don’t believe in all the stuff that comes with Christianity. I don’t want to do the stuff that comes with Christianity, such as:

  • Attending church
  • Praying regularly
  • Reading the Bible

Church often feels like a social gathering—a way to meet new people. I love my church. If I could pick any church to attend, it’d be the church I’m a member of. So why do I choose sleep over worshiping God on Sunday mornings?

Continue reading “A Religious Manifesto of Sorts” →

On Church and Cousins

~ K ~ 1 Comment

I’m moving forward in trying a new church. It’s an English-speaking Korean church (ESKC) that meets about a 5-minute drive from my home and (I know this is so VAIN) has air conditioning. It’s still a part of my current denomination.

It’s got a mix of Asian (not all of them are Korean) and white members, which thrills me because I’ve bemoaned the lack of diversity at my home church for some time now. I’m tentatively moving forward in becoming more involved with the church: joining up with a softball league for July, joining community groups for Bible study, and just plain looking forward to the way God will work in that church. Maybe it will be some time before we become members. Maybe it won’t. Maybe we’ll never become members. But I’m willing to step out in faith and take the risk of making new connections. And making new connections is always messy because we are all sinful people, belief in Christ or not, and we hurt each other, sometimes far more than we ever know.

As I think about attending this ESKC, I recognize, perhaps a bit more acutely, my issues with my home church. Some of the issues are a matter of preference and the blame lies with me; the other issues aren’t sin issues but rather a culture of the church that has come to frustrate me over time.

  • The congregational singing. This isn’t the product of the song selections by the choir director at my home church, in fact, I love them! (Reason why I know and love Getty music.) I’m frustrated by the most drab and monotone way the church sings the song selections. They sing it in the way that I remember hating at Catholic Churches when I was kid: dull and lifeless. My husband would argue that it’s because the organ makes everything sound dismal, but I can’t think of a better accompaniment to “A Mighty Fortress” or any other Luther hymn. At ESKC, while the song selections tend to be more of a contemporary nature (I can’t stand this “Majesty” song), the performance is done on a low-key level with a variety of instruments (bongo drum!) that isn’t boring but provides to a quiet, worshipful atmosphere. (As opposed to simply a “worshipful” atmosphere with a loud band.)
  • The cold church culture. This is something that has always been an issue but I either failed to recognize it or purposely chose to overlook it in an attempt to become rapidly engaged with a church when I first moved to Pennsylvania. From the moment I stumbled in as a new visitor (perhaps rudely because it was unannounced), I failed to realize that people are polite and welcoming but certainly not warm. Maybe the warmth I’m looking for will never be found this side of heaven. Or maybe I can lower my expectations and not expect group hugs with tears at the end of every community group. (Just joking. I really don’t expect that.) I don’t expect every community group session to full of openness and bare feelings. But I’d like that sometimes. I’d like to know people don’t always want to hide their imperfections. I want to know that Christians aren’t afraid of showing they don’t have it all together. (A friend who was a longtime member of my home church and just recently joined the ESKC as members really talks a good game about the church and the community group. I’m putting her to the test.) My home church isn’t bad, unbiblical, or even awful. It’s right for some people, and perhaps, since it has grown over the course of 2 years without a pastor, it has grown in a vein that I don’t think I am a part of any longer. I have attempted to change the cold culture by taking a risk and being more open, and I know some people have too, but in the end, many congregants of the church prefer to retreat to their sections of privacy and keep their Christianity as well-polished vases for display on Sundays. I’ve attended the church since Fall 2006 and joined in April 2007. After four years, I believe we’ve grown away from my home church, which saddens me. Some people are okay with the imperfections. Some people don’t expect more from the Bride. I think it’s possible this side of heaven. Call me an idealist.
  • Emphasis on doctrine—the right syllable. My home church is strong—excels really—in the area of Reformed theology. There’s no i that hasn’t been dotted and no t (or f, for that matter) that hasn’t been crossed. If you want to learn more about Reformed theology in an in-depth manner and live in the Philadelphia ‘burbs, my home church would be fantastic for you. But as one friend (who also recently left my home church for another) put it, “they teach doctrine without love.” I’ve bemoaned the lack of emphasis on practical Christian teaching (taking what we know from the Bible and putting it into practice in our lives) in our community groups. (The pastor does a fine job.) I have walked away from Bible studies saddened and discouraged because I feel as though I’ve gained a lot of head knowledge and nothing useful to equip me with the tools to live out an effective life for Christ. An IKEA instruction manual is useless (more so than normal) if you don’t have the tools to carry it out.
  • Church growth. This is really an issue that I take full responsibility for. When I joined my home church, it was a smaller church of about 100-150 people. It’s grown to about 200+, making me feel a bit lost in the crowd. While church growth is important to the life and vitality of a church, I don’t really handle it well. This is an area I need to work on.
  • Disagreement in practice of keeping young children in the entire service. We don’t have kids yet, but we don’t foresee a change in this practice at our home church any time soon. Children 5 years and older are required to sit through the adult service; we disagree with this practice and feel that it is a waste of valuable time that could better be used in a children’s service. If we weren’t looking for another church now, it would happen in the next couple of years over this (provided we have children).

Those are a few issues I have, the biggest problem probably exemplified by the large paragraph I devoted to it. The ESKC won’t fix all of these things nor do I expect it to. The ESKC won’t be perfect. I will find things that I don’t like about the church. (In fact, I need to before I become a member so I’m not stuck in this position again five years from now!) But it’s a matter of priorities, and while a Bible-based church is first and foremost, I want a warmer church culture where the congregants can grow with one another. Whether that will happen at the ESKC will remain to be seen.

Cousins. I’ve written about them previously. Specifically the ones on my dad’s side. My friend who recently lost her father (to leukemia) is friends with a girl who runs in the same circle as my father’s family. My friend kindly told me in not so many words that the mutual friend said “they’re not very nice people” and that “they gossip and talk about each other behind their backs.”

Well, that answers that. I don’t need that drama. I’ll only make an effort for my mom now, especially since I realize they don’t care nor respect the connection we have through my father. (That’s fine.) When my mom moves down here or if she passes on (God forbid!), I’m not going to any of their events any longer. If I have any one major pet peeve, it’s being two-faced. If you don’t give a crap about me, don’t pretend you do. Just do your thing: say you’re busy if I want to come over, say you’re occupied—tell me this enough times, I get the hint. Our lives are too short to be wasting time on people we could care less about. Don’t waste my time; I won’t waste yours.

Managing My Drifting Boat of Faith

~ K ~ 1 Comment
Image from mysticalchrist.wordpress.com

I spent time with some friends today in which we were able to catch up on our lives after not seeing each other for a while but also discussing some theological issues. (Ah! I like this topic much too much!) After learning about their theological stance, I began to pour out my heart on theological issues too.

But it wasn’t theology. Or was it?

I began blurting out all of the things that I was upset about in my spiritual life and in my church. It became a few minutes of which I began airing my spiritual grievances against myself and the world.

The fact of the matter is that I am hunger for God. I read TONS of books on the Christian faith, Jesus, hell, desiring God, parables in the Bible, Reformed doctrine, and being Christ’s hands and feet to those in need. I want to do something. I’m also aware I need to spend a good bit of time being, but I’m also itching to do.

Day after day I’m torn up over my spiritual state because I am angry at myself for forgetting about Jesus when I’m working or not telling others about the freedom that he’s given me.

  • I want to do practical things to reach out to others in the name of Christ.
  • I want to be so earthly minded that I’m heavenly good.
  • I want to wake up on Sunday bursting at the seams to worship Jesus, the God-man who’s done amazing things for me.
  • I want to be joyously obedient to the Lord out of love and happiness.
  • I want to connect with other members of Christ’s family through Bible studies where we learn how to transform our lives by applying God’s word.

My husband always admonishes me that I’m too concerned with the big picture. I do want to be part of the big picture. I want to be one of the tiny puzzle pieces that fit to make a beautiful picture when it’s all put together. Right now, I don’t know what I’m doing or where I’m going. I’m drifting out to sea trying to manage this boat of faith all on my own.

The more I think about the church I visited last week, the more I think I’d like to go back. Maybe because it’s shiny and brand-spankin’ new just like a kid who gets a new toy and plays with it until he’s tired of it and wants something new.

I want solid doctrine, I want love and community, and I want to share my enthusiasm for a powerful, loving God (who, yeah, I have issues with at times) who cared enough about this earth to send his only begotten son to this earth to save sinners.

According to the title of a Rob Bell book, Jesus Wants to Save Christians.

I hope I’m not so far gone that he can still save me.

 

The Results of My Church Visit

~ K ~ 10 Comments
Image from marshill.org

The Background

This past week, I received a postcard in the mail inviting me to visit a non-denominational church (located about 15-20 minutes away that will remain unnamed). It was a cold invitation (along the lines of “cold call”) addressed to Current Resident of the address where I reside. I hopped onto the website and was thrilled to see the church had a 9 am service since I had an obligation 2 hours later that wouldn’t allow me to attend my regular church. I decided during the week that I’d visit the church to see if I liked it. By the looks of the website, I figured I wouldn’t. It seemed to be a hip, cutting-edge, contemporary, [blah blah blah], post-modern church and my recent experiences with those kind of churches have been a big letdown. I initially intended to attend by myself but when my husband woke up early this morning with nothing better to do, he decided to accompany me, if not for anything, possible MST3K commentary if I hated it. He probably knew from the get-go he’d hate it but probably attended in the hopes of being pleasantly surprised.

If you’ve been a longtime reader of this blog or know me personally, you know that I have a very conservative, orthodox Christian background. As such, our walking into a church that markets itself as cutting-edge is dangerous. Continue reading “The Results of My Church Visit” →

Church Visiting

~ K ~ Leave a comment

Tomorrow morning I’ll be visiting a church I’ve never been to before and I’m not sure what to expect. I need to be somewhere at eleven so I’m attending a nine am service just to see if it’s any good. I don’t really expect to like it and would be surprised if I did. I’m going mainly out of sheer curiosity. That, and the church was kind enough to send me a postcard in the mail—quite the expensive outreach tool if I ever heard of one in this area.

I suppose I’ll report good or bad how the service was tomorrow. For now, good night.

Ash Wednesday and the Beginning of Lent

~ K ~ 6 Comments
Image from goldenspikelutheran.files.wordpress.com

Ash Wednesday, as the venerable Wikipedia describes it, “is a day of repentance and marks the beginning of Lent”:

Ashes were used in ancient times, according to the Bible, to express mourning. Dusting oneself with ashes was the penitent’s way of expressing sorrow for sins and faults.

I had planned on going to an Ash Wednesday service at a local Roman Catholic Church today but for various reasons, won’t be able to do so.

In 1998 when I became a born-again Christian in an independent fundamental Baptist (IFB) church, the pastor (a former Roman Catholic) bashed Catholicism in nearly every possible way. Even though I finished my schooling in a Roman Catholic school 2 years later, I walked away with a dismal view of Catholicism, its doctrines, and practices.

In 2007, I joined the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA). The PCA is a Christian denomination that still holds to Bible-based preaching but offers a liturgical structure similar to that of the Roman Catholic Church. After nearly a decade of being away from a liturgical service, my first experience back was a little jarring. After years of making the Bible as my only authority for Scriptural practices as an IFB, becoming a Presbyterian had me reconsidering church traditions as a supplement (not a replacement) to the Bible for Scriptural practices. (Let me state here that the Bible’s authority takes precedence over church traditions and church traditions clearly in conflict with Scripture should be modified or discarded.)

An acquaintance on a message board who went from born-again Protestant Christianity to Roman Catholicism once suggested that Catholicism may appeal to me again in the future. The likelihood of my becoming a Roman Catholic again is slim, but in a way, he was prophetic: the structure, reverence, and church traditions within Catholicism have reappealed to me and continue to do so the older I get (in age and in faith). Continue reading “Ash Wednesday and the Beginning of Lent” →

Christian and Childless, Not By Choice

~ K ~ 52 Comments

I haven’t blogged about this topic often, and in retrospect, I’m not sure why. (It’s my blog; I can say whatever the hell I want.)

Millions of women go through the same thing I go through each month and they seem to be just fine in public. Sometimes I cannot go out in public because I’m so affected. Continue reading “Christian and Childless, Not By Choice” →

Full Christian Repentance is Gradual, Not Immediate

~ K ~ 2 Comments

Image from godisgood.info

“Growth in character and changes in behavior occur in a gradual process after a person becomes a Christian. The mistaken belief that a person must “clean up” his or her own life in order to merit God’s presence is not Christianity. This means, though, that the church will be filled with immature and broken people who still have a long way to go emotionally, morally, and spiritually. As the saying has it: ‘The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.'” —Tim Keller, “The Church is Responsible for So Much Injustice” from The Reason for God, p. 55

This quote really spoke to me when I read it. It was one of those quotes in which I sat back and thought, Wow. This is revolutionary. This is why Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City has been so successful. This statement is virtually contrary to what I experienced when I became a born-again Christian.

I entered Christian fundamentalism at 16. One of the key things stressed upon my conversion was repentance. I needed to immediately turn away from my sins and turn to God.

And I think this is one of the key things about Christianity that keeps many people away: not only do they not see a need to turn away from their sins, but even if they did, fundamental Christians capitalize on emotional momentum and force them to “make a decision.”

What I like about what Mr. Keller says here is that full repentance—turning away from sin and to God—is a gradual process. Is it a requirement to be sorry for one’s sins and living in disobedience against God upon conversion? Absolutely. But to expect instantaneous change from a new believer is wrong. If instant change happens, that’s nice but no expectation of immediate change should be placed upon the new believer (which is something that happens all too often). The new believer should be discipled and bathed in the words of the Bible to be able to come to an understanding on his or her own of what God requires. Out of that understanding, through God’s love, and the leading of the Holy Spirit, will a new believer be able to gain ground to turn away from sin. While mature believers should counsel younger ones in the faith in love and according to Scripture, no one likes to be told what to do from someone with a smug and judgmental attitude.

Overall, Mr. Keller’s chapter on “The Church is Responsible for So Much Injustice” in The Reason for God gives great insight into why Christians seem to suffer from gross moral failings opposed to their irreligious counterparts. (A trend I’ve noticed but have always wondered about.)

American Christians Don’t Know How to Suffer for Christ

~ K ~ 5 Comments

On Twitter, there’s a semi-joke in which someone will mention a problem (usually trivial) in his or her life followed by the hashtag, #firstworldproblems, meaning that the problem is most likely to occur in a Westernized country, ie, “Ran out of coffee grounds; Gonna be a rough morning. #firstworldproblems.” I’d like to propose the idea, however, that Westernized Christians, typically Americans (as I am one), deal with #firstworldXtianproblems.

During the past few months, I’ve been mulling over the idea that American Christians do not face the same problems as early Christians, Christians in other parts of the world, or even American Christians of yesteryear. The challenges American Christians—who I’ll refer to as ACs from now on—face are unique to this era and country. In fact, the problem for ACs is that… there’s no problem at all. We are much too comfortable.

As I sit comfortably in my bed in the cushy suburbs of Philadelphia, I think of people suffering in growing Christian churches in places like China or Iran. The suffering they experience so much more real than wondering whether I should go to church today because I’m so tired. By admitting Christ and him resurrected, they put their lives on the line for their beliefs. (And their belief in Christ is so real that many of them are martyred for their faith.) I highly believe that 90% of ACs would crack under that pressure if put into the same situation. How real is our suffering? How real is our faith?

When Jesus calls his followers to suffer for him, to give up their lives for him, to follow him, American Christians often think back to the Christians of the early church who were martyred, became fugitives, or met together secretly. ACs (except foreign missionaries) know nothing about fearing for their lives because of their faith, needing to hide their faith from their neighbor or government due to physical repercussions, or meeting in secret because of widespread federal and/or societal persecution. Here are some of the problems ACs typically face:

  • I don’t like this pastor. I think I’ll find a new church.
  • No one talks to me here. I could go in and out of church on a Sunday unnoticed.
  • This church is too big; I want to find one smaller.
  • There’s not enough activities for my children here.
  • It’s a dying congregation! Everyone’s old.
  • No women pastors for me. I’ll find something else.
  • I don’t like praise and worship bands. This place is too contemporary.
  • I don’t like that boring piano and organ. Those hymns make me sleepy. I need to find something upbeat!
  • Ew! They use the NIV [or Bible translation said person doesn’t like] here!

Granted, there are some legitimate concerns ACs may have with churches, ie, if a church isn’t using a Bible as its main source text for the service and sermon, it’s not a real (or good) Christian church. But most of the issues ACs have are trivial.

So what does it mean to forsake all and follow Jesus as ACs? Does it mean not investing in 401(k)s (for future security) in order to donate to a charitable organization that will help others in the here and now? Does it mean giving up the dream of owning a home in order to adopt a child and transform that kid’s life?

As ACs, we face many trivial problems that in the grand scheme of things, aren’t really a big deal. What we consider to be suffering, in many ways, is really just our way of complaining that we’re no longer comfortable. (First-world response: “The heater broke in our church! I’m not going to go to church to freeze my ass off.” A better response: “The heater’s broken at church so we need to bundle up a bit more to ensure that we can stay warm during the service.”)

Any ideas on what true suffering for American Christians looks like? Or do ACs not know what suffering for the sake of Christ really is?