We're doing it wrong.

I have long abhorred the contrast between what can be observed in your neighborhood church on Sunday morning and what I read about in the early church in the Bible.  Sunday mornings in the standard American church are typically completely predictable, well-orchestrated, and--if we're honest about it--boring.  The early church, as described in Acts, was nothing of the sort.  Exciting things happened.  People were literally and instantly healed, for example.  Now days, it seems like you're doing good if you can find someone who claims God healed them--and even then it's after a week under intense medical attention at a leading hospital.  Don't get me wrong.  I still think God is at work.  He can certainly use medical staff as well as He can use an old-fashioned miracle.

There is a local church here in Rockford that advertises that they are "a different way to do church."  Do church?  Never mind that the whole idea sounds like they don't even get what church is.  The point is, when I compare the modern church to the early church, I don't see any option except to conclude "We're doing it wrong."  I believe that God has more to offer than we can even expect.

The problem is, I have no idea how to "do church" the right way.  I've never done it.  I've never seen it.

The rest of life isn't a lot better.  American life is boring.  Seriously.  The "American dream" is to get a good job, drive a nice car, and live in a nice house, apparently.  Most of that crap doesn't even appeal to me.  A job is something I have so I can afford the rest of my life.  Cars and houses are just expenses.  Where's the "dream" part?  If your idea of a good time is mowing the yard, you really need to get out more.

The way I've been raised to live life serves no purpose whatsoever except to fuel the economy.  Go to work. Pay taxes.  Buy things.  Repeat.  I'll let you in on a little secret: I don't really care about the economy.  I mean, I'd like it to be better rather than worse, but it's not my life's work.

I have, to the limited extent that I've been able to figure out how, tried to embrace the moment and appreciate the days for what they are: gifts.  When I know what I want, I tend to throw caution to the wind and get it.  It's come back to bite me a few times.  And you know what?  It tends to freak people out.

This is harder than I thought.