Daily writing prompt

Write about a time when you didn’t take action but wish you had. What would you do differently?

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I’ve spent many years as an attendee sitting actionless in church. I wish I had had the courage to speak up more often, but I let the religious system keep me silent and passive. Out of fear of being thrown out I conformed to the concept of silent-group-sit. However, once, as a young Christian I went beyond silent-group-sit. It was my last Sunday in a Presbyterian church before I moved away (so it wouldn’t matter if they threw me out).

I walked to the front after the sermon and knelt in prayer. When I opened my eyes, I saw that several people had joined me. I stood up, turned around, and with a humble and tender heart shared with tears how the living Jesus had recently changed my life.

Afterwards an elderly woman rushed feebly up to me and excitedly said something like: “I wish you had kept going. You reminded me of the way this church used to be when I was a little girl.”

Too many Christians are satisfied with the concept of silent-group-sit in church. They are content to sit and listen to a little bit of Bible information on Sunday instead of personally experiencing more of Christ’s inner transformation during the meeting. Are you? Don’t just go to church. Be an active member of the body of Christ who is led by the Spirit (Romans 8:14) day and night.

So why are almost all church services based on silent-group-sit? When Christianity is focused on hearing the same person talk week after week, we tend to walk away from discipleship and heart-to-heart fellowship and shift into simple spectatorship. I think that we like to silent-group-sit so that we don’t have to deal with our deception.

As human beings our perspective is often deceptive. Living in this word that overflows with deception it’s easy to be convinced that we are right when we are wrong, that we are holy when we are not, that we are better people than we really are. Meanwhile God is waiting for His people to “turn from their wicked ways” so that He can heal our land. (2 Chronicles 7:14) It so easy to be Pharisees and to be convinced that we are righteous people who have no “wicked ways” and no need to repent. It takes courage to go Beyond Church.

Christ explained
Is info obtained.
Christ in you
Will change what you do.

Jesus wants you
To be energized
By His presence,
Not formalized.
Refuse to be
Institutionalized
By religion.

Jesus loves me
This I know
That’s why I believe
That the Bible’s so.