My friend Heather has a way of bringing me back to earth though, as I have come home to find I have been "tagged" for John Smulo's very interesting and challenging meme.
I am supposed to apologise to the world for three things that Christians (or me personally) have got wrong.
So here goes...
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INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Apologize for three things that Christians have often got wrong. Your apologies should be directed towards those who don't view themselves as part of the Christian community. Alternatively, apologize for things you personally have done wrong towards those outside of the church.
2. Post a comment at the originating post so others can keep track of the apologies.
3. Tag five people to participate in the meme.
4. If desired, send an email with the link to your blog post at the Christians Confess site, giving permission for your apologies to be added to the website.
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1. I'm sorry for trying to make you come to us (church) instead of us going to you.
2. I'm sorry that so many acts of kindness we bestowed upon you had strings attached.
3. I'm sorry that we have been having such a good time ourselves that we have not heard those who are screaming for our help right outside our door.
Sadly, I could think of many many more things I could apologise for ...
4. I'm sorry that we have been more interested in your money than your needs.
5. I'm sorry that our passion for music has overwhelmed our passion for humanity.
6. I'm sorry that our claim of "excellence" has made some of those around us feel inadequate.
7. I'm even more sorry that our claim of "excellence" has made some of those around us think (often correctly) that we are a bunch of hypocrites.
8. I'm sorry that we have portrayed such a distorted view of Jesus and his love for you.
9. I'm sorry that our egoes have denied us the ability or the desire to admit when we are wrong.
10. I'm sorry that our self involved perspective has rubbed off on our kids.
11. I'm sorry that instead of creating a haven of safety for you, we have built a place of judgement.
12. I'm sorry that our walk often does not match our talk.
13. I'm sorry that we have not visited you when you were sick, fed you when you were hungry, comforted you when you were lonely, and all those other practical things that should be a part of the foundation of our faith.
14. I'm sorry that we have not given generously to those in need.
15. I'm sorry that the in-fighting and disunity between our denominations has turned so many away from seeking God.
16. I'm sorry for all the times we have welcomed you into our churches, only to neglect you once you become a regular attendee.
17. I'm sorry that we have forgotten who Jesus is and how he lived, and as a result our lives have reflected something other than the goodness of God.
How did we get like this? How did we reach the point where there are so many things that Christians can (and should) apologise for? I pray that God will prompt me every time I open my mouth or step outside my door, to remember that my every word and action should reflect him.
2 comments:
Thank you for participating in the meme.
It's sad there is so much to apologize, but I really appreciate how well you can put yourself in other people's shoes to see where we've gone wrong.
When you get tagged you really stop to think about it! Wow. I would feel so much better if all those things weren't true. But they are. Which means I have to take responsibility for them myself as well.
Tears at my desk yet again. I really have to stop reading blogs during work hours...
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