Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
Christianity Then and Now
Christianity Then and Now: from fasting to feasting; from praying to playing; from saving souls to saving accounts; from building better people to building better buildings; from sanctification to sanctimonious; from serving to severing; from confessors to gossipers; from dying to this life to living for this life; from The Way to our way; from Sunday communion to Sunday collections; from serving God to serving self; from Christianity to Churchianity.
1. From fasting to feasting – There isn’t much preaching and practicing of fasting nowadays. Many churches though focus a lot of “fellowship meals.”
2. From praying to playing – Praying is such a constant practice and teaching in scriptures. Many churches though focus on meeting the wants of kids and adults through entertainment.
3. From saving souls to saving accounts – Can a church be so concerned about preparing for future building emergencies that they don’t support the preaching of the gospel like they can?
4. From building better people to building better buildings – I will never forget the point made by a preacher who noticed that a cross cost a church thousands and thousands of dollars. He said, “Used to be Christians could get crosses for free.”
5.From sanctification to sanctimonious – Just this last Sunday I heard a story of a man who came forward and got upbraided in front of the entire congregation because “he should have known better.”
6. From serving to severing – How many churches split over non-issues because of the unwillingness to serve one another.
7. From confessors to gossipers – Which happens more often?
8. From dying to this life to living for this life – It is harder to prayer for daily bread when your pantry is full of your favorite snacks.
9. From The Way to our way – again, have many arguments take place over nonessentials.
10. From Sunday communion to Sunday contributions – Many churches do not observe the Lord’s Supper every Sunday for fear it will lose its significance, and yet will take up a collection and tell people “God loves a cheerful giver.”
11. From serving God to serving self – Did you ever hear someone complain, “I didn’t get anything out of worship today.”
12. From Christianity to Churchianity – If we described what kind of Christian we are by what church we attend, aren’t we practicing churchianity?
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