Joyful Ruins

Some religious traditions I am questioining:

• Jesus spent most of His time outside religious walls among humanity. Why would He then, want, His followers to spend most of their time inside religious walls away from humanity?

If anything, church should not be a building, but a people, just as the Israelites were, meant to be a light among others.

What if church is not a Sunday service, but a group of people who spend time in the world seeing the hurt, lonely, and poor?

I am not convinced that my time in church is impacting the kingdom. I am not convinced that it is more important for me to attend a two hour service on a Sunday to hear the same white man preach about a passage of scripture I know well through my own consistent studying and praying, than it is for me to rest, spend time in solitude or go out and be with others.

Jesus did not spend His life in church. Jesus spent His life aware of the Father an living life.

And I feel like church has taught us that our faith belongs on that Sunday. Every other day of the week, faith does not.

• Generosity

I used to give more than the required 10% to many Christian ministries.

When I moved, I wasn’t sure what my finances might look like so I paused on giving.

What I have experienced by pausing on giving monthly to ministries, is the freedom to be generous wherever I go. Generously tipping people, strangers. Generously gifting friends and family. And meeting needs all without the attitude or feeling that I already give or I am stretched too thin.

The joy and ability to give daily where and opportunity is presented causes me to love giving again and to experience the Spirit of Christ.

(Since writing this, I have been giving less because I haven’t had opportunities to give, so I do not wholeheartedly agree with the above. However, I do think generosity is more nuanced and seasonal and free than the church has taught it to be).

• There has been great harm done by the church teaching that woman was made to be the helper.

1. Women have grown up, thinking all their worth comes from helping others, especially men. Single women are hurt and confused as to why God keeps them single if their purpose is to help man and then they dangerously look to other men, in church, work, dating to give to.

Women, in general, lack the confidence, self trust, empowerment to speak up in situations where harm is being preached and lived out.

Women feel guilt and shaem where they succeed, feel strong, or even when they have independence.

2. Men see women in the wrong way.

There are many men walking around, believing that a woman’s worth is solely in how they help and how they help men specifically.

Apart from being a helper, a woman lacks value.

These men have been taught to train or walk away from a woman who is strong, independent, or faithful. They have been taught to want a woman who is weak and seeks to help them.

You can see how this teaching has created and encouraged abuse, chronic singleness, immaturity, and an incredible lack of female leadership