Churches and Creeds

***EDIT: upon recollection of this, I would like to add revelations about this material that have occurred only after I have posted this. to retain the originality of the document, the edits are all enclosed in asterisks***
Today I speak on yet another personal thing, yet I find many people with religious Conviction have some opinion on the matter. Church.

The word evokes a myriad of images, and it is interesting to see how many different images there are, from divine to depraved. Controversy and Church both start with C, and that's no Coincidence (Okay, it is). Even within religious Circles, there exists a want to be away from the body of Church. Being a Christian, I will speak about the Church's roles.

First, There's the solo Church. No family, no message, one person reading the word. I’d hate to be a whistle blower, but many errors in Christian theology exist because people misinterpret the Bible, thinking that they've thought of something that ages of scholars have not. Cults arise through this, Mormonism being one that has sadly been allowed to grow (Sorry to the Mormons, though I feel you should read your holy scriptures to understand the errors. I love you, brothers. I'll put a post about this later.).

Then there's the opposite: Mega Churches. You've got your own image in your head, though let me paint you one: Passion City Church, at 515 Garson Street. You walk about half a mile from the MARTA to reach it, and it's this whale of a white building. As you walk Closer, weaving through the ocean of vehicles, You say hi to dozens of people who say hi back, and when you enter, someone is there ready to unload high fives on everyone Crossing the threshold. Once inside, a hundred more people greet you, and twelve thousand Conversations happen at once. Volunteers are stationed at every entrance to the Chapel, and I have several people I recognize by face, to whom I relate the day-to-day comings and goings. During the service, I am blasted with music. The spirit burns me, and I am seared with it. The pastor enraptures me, and those two hours are the highlight of my week. I leave excited.

When I get home, I Come to terms with sadness: I was being Controlled. Something in me finds Christ in the loudest noises I Can handle. Death by noise would be welcomed by me, for I see God in every wavelength. I go to PCC for a high, and I'm not sure if it's PCC or me who's being manipulative. Either way, PCC has gotten me as excited as a kilogram of U-238 meeting with the other 51. Explosions happen.

Then I go home, and next week, I go to Christ UMC. It's quiet. My mother and father will murder me for saying this, but I feel it is dead. Ritual Controls that Church. Whenever we recite the Apostle's Creed, I want to run to the front of the room, stop everyone, and say, “STOP! STOP!! STOP!!! CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE'RE NOT DEAD YET, SO STOP SOUNDING LIKE IT! ONE MORE TIME, WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE, CHRISTIAN?!?”

It's a peeve of mine. Creeds are meant to be impassioned speeches, not solemn recitations. Someone walking into a Church for the first time would look at the Congregation mumbling the Creed and leave instantly. Don't get me started on the Humnals.

So, what do Small Churches have going for them? Well, if my father suddenly, croaked, Passion City Church wouldn't even know. But CUMC would. The community of CUMC would show up. They'd support me, and my mother, and my sister. They'd be with us in our grievance. Small Churches have family. Louie Giglio, pastor of PCC, endorses small churches.

So, what would I want? Unite the denominations. We're here to be Christ's body on earth. If you feel the best way to do that is to have Communion every week, there's a Church for that. If you feel Christ is best shown in the noise of a larger Church, there's on for you, too. If you like ritual, There are several Churches.

There's a poison Corroding the Church, make no mistake. A poison of Complacency. CUMC recently banned prayer time, reducing it to banal “prayer Cards”. No prayers are spoken out loud. The Creed is mumbled. Hymnals have become Humnals. Church is a ritual. And it KILLS ME. I go to CUMC for Communion, just to Check in with my family, but Lord help me if I don't twitch every time I hear the statement of faith mumbled. Lord help me if, next time I hear it mumbled, I don't YELL IT. This Complacency makes me ANGRY.

If you read this, and attend CUMC, don't be offended if I stop the Creed next time if you're not loud enough. I know for a fact God would much rather have my recitation of the Creed spoken in a primal yell than humbled to mumbles.
          *EDIT: There are people in the Church whose voices are softer. It appalls me how, in trying to get my point across, I ended up encouraging the kind of sectionalism the Church has suffered from for years. I have offended you as a reader and myself in doing so, and i beg forgiveness. If you wish to do so, throwing your chair through the monitor would be considered acceptable reactions to this.* 

Here's how I wish for the Creed to be spoken:

I BELIEVE in GOD the FATHER ALMIGHTY!

MAKER of HEAVEN AND EARTH!

And in JESUS CHRIST his ONLY SON our LORD!

WHO WAS CRUCIFIED, dead and buried!

The THIRD DAY, he ROSE FROM THE DEAD!

He ASCENDED IN TO HEAVEN,

and seated at the RIGHT HAND OF GOD THE FATHER ALMIGHTY!

From THENCE HE SHALL COME to judge the WICKED and the DEAD!

I BELIEVE in the HOLY SPIRIT;

the HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH;

the COMMUNION of SAINTS;

the RESURRECTION of the BODY;

and the LIFE EVERLATING.

AMEN.

For His Renown.