Churchianity?

I just discovered this blog.

Here is a quote from it:

It [Modern Church] promotes churchianity—the practice of making belief in Jesus largely focused on the habits and demands of the institutional church (doctrinal purity, religious behavior), rather than on God’s love.

So true! I see that all the time in churches I go to. It is more important to appear "religious" than to actually love people as God loves us. All I want to do is learn how to do that. I try, but I can't seem to go beyond what makes me comfortable. I signed up to volunteer here and perhaps that will help me. I'm going to be volunteering at a homeless services center. They do breakfast and clothing and financial advice. I'll see how that goes. I'm looking forward to it, and hopefully it will help me steer clear of the temptation of "churchianity."

Honestly, I think the fear of this sin is one of the reasons that I have not yet started seminary. I'm not 100% sure that I'd be going because I want to learn what God is calling me to - or because it would be the ultimate "right" thing to do in the Church. Go be ordained - there's nothing better than that, right? Perhaps I'll find out my own motivations as I get closer to deciding.

It would be so nice if going to Church and serving all the nice people at Church were what God intended for the Church. But instead I worry about social injustice and those that have so much less than the our abundance in the US. I see God's desire for justice. "Churchianity" is a tempting idol because it looks good. Especially in the US where "going to Church" is such a nice thing to do (I grew up in the Bible Belt - so it was the norm). Yet, if we were really following the Gospel and living like Christ we would not be "nice" at all. We would be prophetic and we would change our world. All you have to do is look at Jesus. Living out God's love got him killed by the Roman's.

Churchianity - it's a tempting sin. Pray that I, and all Christians, can avoid it.