More God, Fewer Walls, and a Comfy Couch?

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For many true followers, a day will come when stepping away from the traditional church setting won’t just be an option, but a necessity. I know nobody asked for my two cents on this, but I’m in a mood today.

Why of all days? 

Because I’ve been thinking a lot about the state of the church in America.

Everywhere I look, I see these giant buildings with plush carpet, polished wooden pews, and not a penny spared on the pulpit, and it finally just rubbed that one last nerve cell I had left.

Churches, everywhere, are dropping like flies under the weight of the world at a pace that makes me think I’m living having a bad dream, or in a B-rated movie sometimes.

But then I realize I’m awake.

I grew up always knowing there were the dos and don’ts in the Christian faith, regardless of denomination; well, that’s gone out the window quite spectacularly lately, and what hit me over the last few days is this: 

We are truly witnessing the collapse of “the church” in America; there’s no stopping it, the dominoes have been flicked. 

Maybe it’s time for a couch session?

I’m serious, but not to take a nap on, or sprawl out on, and lay out your worries to a therapist because we can’t handle a bumped knee or side eye anymore.

But a couch and maybe whatever random chairs you can find, all in a circle in a living room in someone's house. 

To find God once again with friends and family, laughing and crying, venting and praising, all mixed together and out of the scheduled order of a church.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when I suggested that?

If you thought, Heck no, I love my church. Well, kudos to you. Just double-check why you love it so much. 

If you're in the opposite boat, maybe it’s time to try something else? 

You do know you don’t need a building called a church to have church, right? And it sure as heck isn’t required to be on Sunday, but that’s a whole different topic for a different day, let’s just focus on what the priority is right now.

Your relationship with Christ.

A time will come when you can’t get that in a church. Wait, let me rephrase that. 

A time will come when that won’t be allowed in churches.

Every day, more churches are falling to this world's demands. Not God’s.

Maybe this nation needs that.

Maybe the churches that serve themselves need to be brought to their knees?

Not harsh, just truth.

The church in America (actually all over) is rapidly changing and declining, and by that I mean Christianity as a whole at this point is declining. 

I know I‘m not the only one sensing the end of the Christian church around the corner. 

Well, I shouldn’t say “end” per se, maybe more like a major product overhaul and rebranding, complete with extra added additives that make people sicker.

Leave the walls behind

I don’t think it would be a bad thing, to be completely honest. Something needs to happen because Christianity, real Christianity, the Bible-believing kind of Christianity, is disappearing before your eyes and being replaced with pseudo-Christianity. 

Now, if you're where God wants you to be, stay there, and listen to what He’s telling you to do or say. We are capable of planting seeds in a Godless church.

But if you're feeling something deep down in your soul, listen and pray. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone; the only thing that’s good for is a participation trophy that isn’t going to impress God on judgment day anyway. 

Open your Bibles, do not rely on humanity to teach you the word of God; that’s God’s job.

Consider a home Bible study with friends and family. Consider there are many, many other ways to be a community of believers that break away those damn walls that are stifling the Holy Spirit from doing His thing.

Here me out

I don’t pray for God to speed up His timing towards Revelation; I’m not in a mindset of wanting churches to collapse in order to herald Him closer, not even close.

What I want is Christianity back and not butchered, and the ones doing the butching brought to their knees. 

Because I believe that exposing the false teachings out there will encourage people to get off the dang fence they are straddling and take a stand, one way or the other, and draw them back to each other in God’s company. Learning and studying His word together as I should truly be.

So I say:

More God. Less Walls. And find that comfy couch.

© Jane Isley

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