The Church is Out of Order: Where Are the Christians? OMG... The 3Ps Are Leaving the Church

By Dr. Rose Maria McCarthy Anding

These questions must be asked: What is the real lifestyle of Christians, and what happens when...

Some of our churches are out-of-order, filled with "overgrown babies," wearing diapers, which at times are dirty and smelly. Please do not take or touch their pacifiers; they will cry, yell, and have temper tantrums. -Dr. Rose Maria

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Apr 13, 2021
• ISBN: 9781647738921

Book preview

A Little Backstory: Once Upon a Time…

Many stories start like this and then go on to tell how someone went from rags to riches, found the courage to slay an evil giant, or had Prince Charming come to the rescue so the person could live happily ever after.

Sometimes, twists and turns in the stories are so wonderful, magical, or improbable that they cause you to sit up and wonder: How did this happen?

It is different when we tell stories about the "real world"—stories about people’s lives, human suffering, things we are or have experienced personally, and how we must work for our daily bread.

In the real world, our money is cut into by taxes and is steadily consumed by our needs for shelter and sustenance. Sometimes, in the real world, our money is snatched away by unscrupulous people. Sometimes our future is twisted into the darkness of slavery to poverty, addiction, sickness, and death, while our most precious possession—our innate childlike innocence—is nearly always stolen away.

In other words, the real world consists of all types of characters and individuals. Some of them are fair, some foul, and some have made choices that delivered them, unwittingly, to a precarious place that exists somewhere between good and evil. It is a world whereby both the unfortunate and fortunate live, as well as the just and the unjust. This world commands that we somehow learn to survive within its jaws.

Events happen in the real world that are strange recipes of good and evil all mixed up together. But what about events in the church world? Most churchgoers call themselves by the name Christian, even though many are much less than worthy of that title. If so, do real Christians exist in the real world?

My Invitation to You…

I invite you to look at that question—Do real Christians exist in the real world?—through the lens provided by this simple story about the real world. It brings different sides of life to light, including the character of persons known as Christians and how to distinguish them from people who profess to believe—and may even believe that they believe—but who are Christian only in name.

The story does not fit any conventional model or mode; it is one-of-a-kind. Some may believe it exists only in the imagination of a storyteller. Others may call it a myth, perhaps a parable, but such labels are less important than the story itself: a story that took place in the Real Church World. The stories are mostly set at church among those who reside in the land of the churchgoers, or in other words, among the hypocrites. The hypocrites are not among people who commit some sins on occasion (like all people do), but those who practice those sins on a routine basis.

Many questions might enter your mind as you travel the journey that this story provides. Let your imagination engage and your responses emerge from that remaining center of childlike innocence within you.

The major complaint that non-Christians level against Christianity is that our churches are full of hypocrites. This accusation is heard frequently; however, the Bible clearly indicates that those who practice hypocrisy really are not Christians at all, and they will be judged to be unbelievers and sent to hell. But what will befall the non-believer who knows of and yet does not embrace the Christian faith? If you are a non-believer, but you do not want to end up in hell with the hypocrites, this is a good reason to consider the Christian faith. Having attended many Christian churches, I can assure you that the hypocritical pretenders within them are rare. Besides, one should judge Christianity not by what the pretenders do but by what Jesus taught and lived.

Perhaps the best reason to embrace the Christian faith is that Christians are taught the Word of God to understand how to exist rightfully in the unpredictable, often treacherous real world. In the words of Jesus, My commandment is this: Love each other as I have loved you (John 15:12 NIV).

The Bible also says the following about following Jesus’ example.

John 13:15—For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you (NKJV).

1 Corinthians 11:1—Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ(NKJV).

Ephesians 5:1—Therefore be imitators of God as dear children(NKJV).

Also, many believers are empty, swept and garnished (Matthew 12:44) by lukewarm Christian doctrines. If you attend church but do not believe with a whole heart in your reasons for going there, you will be a weak Christian and real-world trials will make havoc on your life.

This challenge of belief leads us into the heart of the story about to unfold before you. How should we describe persons who pretend to have virtues—such as moral or religious beliefs and principles—that they do not actually possess? This is especially germane related to persons whose actions belie their stated beliefs or persons who feign to possess desirable or publicly approved attitudes and opinions.

The story is not about prophecy, but it does give a perspective of the reality that exists in the world of Churchgoers. Nevertheless, it hangs on the name of what churchgoers are calling themselves: A Christian.

The questions that must be asked are: What is the real lifestyle of Christians, and what happens when The Church Is Out-of-Order?

When we view the world of western religious organizations, we find that certain religions, including Christianity, rely on embracing the teachings, rituals, ethics, and examples of the prophets who founded them. In religions that do not trace their foundation to a prophet, allegiance is determined largely by ethnicity. Even within the traditions of founded religions, insulated religious communities arise in which birthright and ethnicity become the principal, if not exclusive, criteria of eligibility for participation.¹

Christianity took root in ancient times, and its success and organizational strength obviously appealed to political leaders. However, the new religion never was for the upper classes alone because its popular message of ritual and salvation continued to draw in the poor. Rather, as Hinduism did in India, Christianity provided some religious unity among believers from different social groups. We rely on these perspectives to understand religion and its place in society, but again, the story to be told right here and now is more important than the historical vantage