What if they made a new rule to tone down the Sochi Olympics by requiring all Olympic athletes to have one arm tied behind their back during competition?  Would you be okay with that?

What if, in order to reduce concussions and other injuries, the NFL made a rule that the game must be played with all players always on their knees?  Would that offend your interest in football?

What if NBA players were only allowed to use one leg and had to hop up and down the court?  Would that hurt attendance at games and/or TV ratings?

People would be outraged if any one of these three sports innovations were made.  They would speak out and protest.  They wouldn’t stand for their sport to be so severely restricted and toned down.

So why are people silent at what has been done to tone down church?  The exciting stuff has been taken out of church.  When I read about the First Century Church in the Book of Acts, I see lots of stuff that I don’t see in our churches and in our Christians in the 21st Century — deep repentance and turning away from sin; amazing boldness to speak the truth in love; fearless proclamation of Jesus; freedom from emotional, mental, and spiritual bondage; a willingness to suffer; an all-consuming passion to follow and obey Jesus every day; great humility; and a consistent lifestyle of loving others (even enemies).

There’s no wonder that church doesn’t attract the love, passion, sacrifice, and commitment that sports do in America.  Perhaps it is time to let church once again be like it was in the Book of Acts:  unleashed from passive, lethargic, emasculated, emotionless, and controlling human expectations and limitations.  Let God’s church once again be full of fire and spiritual desire, turning the world upside down.

Experience non-traditional church that is trying to be unleashed by modeling the Book of Acts:  The Salvation Army Berry Street, 225 Berry St., Nashville, 37207 on Sunday mornings at 10:45 and Thursday nights at 6:30.