ted Posted September 6, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 276 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 7,474 Content Per Day: 0.97 Reputation: 51 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/25/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/31/1966 Share Posted September 6, 2004 McChurch by Vernon C. Lyons Ashburn Baptist Church Orland Park, Illinois -Taken from the Sword of the Lord, August 27, 2004 Our culture demands convenience Christianity. We want it short, simple, fast and cheap. The McBible does not have the tedious sixty-six books, but just a few with short sentences and simple words at the fifth-grade level. There are numerous pictures, and some pages have been ruled with lines so that you can add your own spiritual thoughts, just in case you get a new revelation. The McWorship service is all sweetness and love, with nothing offensive. The McSermon is easily digested with a minimum of nutrition and a maximum of fat. Each McPrayer is centered on temporal and material things to keep the mind from wandering to the spiritual, which is often illusive for the modern American. To keep the kids awake, the McHymns are done in hip-hop style. McMarriages are performed for folk who like quickie relationships, and throw-away vows are the big feature. For those who still hold some traditional notions, there are premarital sessions with junk counseling. The McPastor is a touchy-feely guy who majored in pop psychology and has an in-depth understanding of felt needs. McSins, commonly called boo-boos, are easily forgiven with fast prayers and, of course, are soon repeated but not taken too seriously. There is an effort to virtually eliminate the negative and dwell completely on the positive. This whole business is sustained by the McTithe, which is not ten percent but whatever stray dollars happen to be left in the wallet. The McYouth program is short on Bible study and discipleship and long on fun and games. It's designed to give kids what they want and to teen-sit them so their parents can go out and have fun in the evenings without worrying about their kids getting into drugs and sex. McChurch is not staffed by professionals but by hastily hired part-timers whose strongest spiritual slogan is "Have a nice day." This is the church that offers McFellowship, which is not bonding but merely with a quick "Hello", with a handshake, a hug, and a hope that you do not become too responsible for the other person's life or spiritual well-being. McSalvation does not have any deep doctrine of substitutionary atonement and regeneration, rather a simple human decision or a nod of the head is more than adequate to bring a person into McKingdom, where he hopes to live happily now and in the here-after. All of this ends up in a McHeaven, where there are no golden streets but arches that appear over a broad entrance where the grill is scorching and the deep-fry grease superhot. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsth Posted September 6, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 297 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 5,586 Content Per Day: 0.69 Reputation: 193 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/09/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted September 6, 2004 Ok, this one is hitting my email highway in the FAST Lane!!! I'm sending it out to plenty on my list!!! My printer will be busy too! In His Love, Suzanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesussaves Posted September 7, 2004 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 210 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 1,144 Content Per Day: 0.15 Reputation: 11 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/14/2003 Status: Offline Share Posted September 7, 2004 Speaks loud! I like it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Called Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 This is awesome! Thanks for sharing Ted. I have sent it to everyone in my cell group (and I don't mean prison! HA!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest idied2 Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 The coat of whitewash gets thinner by the day. But thats what they want. But who's telling them what they are really gonna get? Like they would listen. Its a McShame. Matthew 23 23:27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. In CHRIST JESUS :hug: :hug: :hug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest idied2 Posted September 7, 2004 Share Posted September 7, 2004 And so they become the scribes and Pharisees of the day of wrath. Mt 23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. In CHRIST JESUS :hug: :hug: :hug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tsth Posted September 9, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 297 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 5,586 Content Per Day: 0.69 Reputation: 193 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/09/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted September 9, 2004 McMarriages? http://www.barna.org/ In His Love, Suzanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted Posted September 10, 2004 Group: Royal Member Followers: 2 Topic Count: 276 Topics Per Day: 0.04 Content Count: 7,474 Content Per Day: 0.97 Reputation: 51 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/25/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 01/31/1966 Author Share Posted September 10, 2004 McMarriages? http://www.barna.org/ In His Love, Suzanne t. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
followerofjesus Posted September 10, 2004 Group: Diamond Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 31 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 1,013 Content Per Day: 0.14 Reputation: 5 Days Won: 0 Joined: 03/08/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted September 10, 2004 Don't forget Bible man the superhero! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wondering04 Posted September 10, 2004 Group: Junior Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 5 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 88 Content Per Day: 0.01 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/09/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted September 10, 2004 Just a thought. My sister-in-law is a member of a church that I would describe as very legalistic and condemning. She and her kids repeatedly came up to my husband and told him that we were all going to Hell because we were Catholics. They kept attacking him at the point of faith that he was. So much so that he mocked Born Again Christianity and they put stumbling blocks in his path by their condemning words. At that time I did not know Christ at all and that added fuel to the fodder of my hating of God. I now do believe in God. I have read the Bible through several times, and actually came to Christ after my second reading of the Word of God and the wonderful pastor who for two years spoke to me of God's love and did not point to condemnation. The Holy Spirit is what convicted me of sin, this pastor just gave loving guidance and showed me in the Word how much God loved me. Had I only met my sister-in-law, I doubt seriously I would have come to God. As far as the Mc Churches. You are right, the word is meatier than that, but if those McChurches pull people in and get a Bible in their hands, would not the Holy Spirit be powerful enough to get them to crack the book open. I am still struggling with faith issues, still have major doubts, and questions, but at least I have the Word to study now. As for my husband, once I got saved, I asked my pastor what do I do? He told me to not speak, but show by example of my life how God has changed me. If I learned anything that was edifying I shared it with him, not preaching, just sharing. I often talked about the Bible study lessons I was learning, like submission to one's spouse, etc. He is now attending the Bible study and insisting that when our children are off from school they attend as well. He still is Catholic and I still attend mass with him, although my heart is with the Bible based church that I love so much, but I have to believe that the Word of God will do its work in him. In my unsaved state, if I had walked into a church that upheld self-righteousness as the mode, not love, I would have walked out. I am glad God directed me to where I am now. And maybe, since God can use all for good, the McChurches do have a place somewhere. Now I am still rather new to Christ, and cannot pretend to have the whole picture, and there may be much that I am missing, but I suspect that love can do more than condemning behavior. And please know, this pastor that I met did not pull punches either, he used the Word, and showed me where I was sinning, but so gently that I was able to listen. Heather Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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