Hello, my beautiful readers!! It’s been a minute since I have written. A lot has been going on in the world and a lot has been going on in my head. Honestly, I love vulnerability. I enjoy being in that state, but the pregame to being in that state is a trip. It’s hard. I write from experience. With that being said, let’s talk about “the church.”

It all started with a tweet. My tweet read, “why do we credit the church as a whole versus the individuals that truly impacted and changed our lives. Ofc not in an idol way. Who came first: the people that God sent or the church? I think that sometimes churches put their own remixes to how God asked us to live and call it the truth.” So, if you have ever wondered if “Christians” are really “holier than thou,” as you assume, I hope you enjoy this blog post. Let’s get into it!

Disclaimer: This isn’t just about one church, but if the shoe fits then take notes and do better. These are things that I don’t like about “the church.” When I say “the church” I mean the people in the church, heck maybe even the physical church itself. These are actions and habits  that I have seen in my Christian bubble that I absolutely can not stand. I am also guilty of doing these things. I will try and provide possible solutions but in all honesty, I just wanna get these things off my chest. Truly, the solution is to turn from doing these things. (Also known as repenting.) Teehee 😉

1. We love a secret sinner. You know, the one that has all these dirty little secrets and keeps them all to themselves all tied up with a pretty bow. And because she/he is well known in “the church,”  no one would expect them to have those secrets. The one that judges others in “the church” or outside of it for sleeping around but they have a porn addiction and are doing everything sensual under the sun with their significant others. That one. It makes zero sense as to why they are judging others yet there they are. Chin up, thinking that they are the better Christian because no one knows of their dirty laundry. Just because you are slipping and falling in secret does not mean your sin is secret. God knows and sees it. You are not the better Christian. Get off that high horse because it’s a long way down. This is an immature way to look at sin altogether. There are so many of them, trust me it takes one to know. Just because you didn’t get caught doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Repent. Check out Proverbs 28:13 and 1 John 1:9 for some biblical tea.
2. Bible Knowledge. Honestly, truly just because you know the whole genealogy of Jesus doesn’t mean you know how to love people well or even try to love people well. When Jesus said that the greatest commandment of them all was to love all people, it means all. That means LGBTQIA+, black people (teehee black still lives matter), people that practice a different faith, people with different views on politics, religion, drugs, sex workers, music taste, and all the grey areas. Instead of reciting bible verses like a party trick, you should start applying what the bible  is saying and love the people around you. Flip to Philippians 2:3 for that biblical tea.
3. Diversity. DIVERSITY. And one last time for the people in the back. D I V E R S I T Y. Just because you have one black person and two Hispanics on the staff does not make you a diverse church. It doesn’t. It may be off based but I think that sometimes even those people of color that are on staff stay at churches that are predominantly white so that when people that look like them visit, they see some representation. This is okay but when that person stays and isn’t cared for, they leave scarred, feeling rejected, not seen or heard.  Don’t make it the duty or responsibility of the few minorities on staff or the ones that attend your church to bring their community to your church. Go to Revelation 7:9 has that biblical tea for ya.
4. Stop living your life for the approval of the church. Disciples, don’t live for the approval of the one that disciples you. It’s tasteless, tacky, and tiring. Even God doesn’t ask us to prove our worth in order to be saved. He gave us the choice to live a life that was like Jesus. While you grow with your sanctification,in time,certain choices are going to come from discernment from the Holy Spirit, not from performative actions that you think that the people around you will approve of. The journey of having your identity rooted in God is your own and His. Your community is there for you to lean on, get advice, etc., BUT NOT FOR APPROVAL. Check out Galatians 1:10 and John 12:43 and marinate on it.
5. Let’s talk about sex baby. A majority of Christians have sex before marriage yet undermine other churches for talking about it. But if we don’t talk about it, how will progress happen?  Also, don’t be mad because that’s the topic or sermon that’s getting the most attention because guess what!?!? Teens and young adults, that’s what they are thinking about. Heck, I know a good amount of y’all out there doing everything under the sun that’s not penetration and thinking it’s not sex. Honey. There are women and men out there afraid of coming to church. They don’t want to be judged due to having premarital sex,but little do they know that people in the church are no different. The temptation to have sex is strong, so why not talk about it in order to have a healthy outlook when it comes to sex? From what I have been told guys are  taught to not watch porn, and ladies are taught to be modest. But both sexes watch porn and aren’t modest all the time. Plus there is a double standard to what modesty is in the church but that a topic for another day.  I think sex education is important, and it shouldn’t be such a taboo topic anywhere, including the church. For judgement, Matthew 7:1-29 and wisdom  Ecclesiastes 7:12.
6. Stop shaming people for getting raped, implying or saying it’s their fault, how they should have know etc. Especially when they come to the church for support, guidance, and comfort on how to handle the situation.Stop making women  feel shameful of their bodies. Stop sexualizing women’s bodies, and stop with idiotic analogies with the flowers. Boys and ,in rare cases, girls rape others because they lack self-control. They feel an entitlement to others’ bodies and feel like they are there for their enjoyment and pleasure. It is about power, not because someone in their Bible study was wearing a crop top. Check out Proverbs 25:28 for that biblical truth.
7. Leaders in the church. Put your ego aside always. Just because you have a following and influence doesn’t mean that everything you say is backed up by God. You aren’t all that and a bag of chips. You are still human. You will mess up, and when you fall, own up to your mistakes. Stand up for the injustices of the world. SPEAK UP. I think the reason why people stay away from the church is that they have seen how the church has reacted or not reacted to a certain situation. By that I mean ,most times, the church puts its reputation first instead of the people it’s serving. Just like that they lose touch with the people and community they wanted to reach when they started. They get lost in the numbers and miss the whole point entirely. Exposure doesn’t mean impact. All those seats could be taken and not a soul could be saved, but the leaders won’t know a thing. Flip to Acts 20:28, and Matthew 18:6 for some food for thought. 

I am just sick of the cameras. Sisters and brothers stop trying to outperform each other. When I found out just how much a lot of people in that Christian bubble fall short D A I L Y. I wasn’t as intimated by them. They cuss, they sleep around, they party, they gossip,and so much more. Simply put, we sin too. I did not know this until I was in this bubble. Outside looking in, everyone looked squeaky clean. The only difference between the Christian bubble and the non-Christian bubble is that Christians chose to find their identity in who God calls them to be.

There is a right way and wrong way to turn from sin. There is a difference between authentically turning away from your old life and starting anew and putting on an act for the approval and acceptance of the church. You can put on the performance of a lifetime, but you will know the truth and feel the gravity of your lie, and so will God. And ,hey, if you want the smoke of conviction, then by all means put on a show. But if you too are tried, then work towards identifying if you are only doing things just for the approval of your peers or if it really is out of the goodness of your heart.

I think that God sent His chosen people first. His vision for those people was to create a church for everyone. God’s vision for the church (that we would be His image for the lost word of who God is and welcome the lost into a relationship with God and with each other. Read Acts 2:43-47), is not being reflected through these habits of church people. Alas, we failed and continue to,therefore, we will always need Jesus. No sin outweighs the other. You sin, I sin, that’s why we needed/need Jesus. 

I think the perfect embodiment of “the church” is in heaven.The church on earth is still full of sinful, broken people. There is a lot that we get wrong, need to fix, and unlearn. But continuing to judge and turning our backs to people who sin differently from us is not a way to bring people to Christ. What will is meeting them where they are, loving them, and accepting if they want the same lifestyle as you or don’t. But continue to love them regardless of their decision.

As we are trying to execute His vision for His kingdom on earth to be as the one in heaven, as a body we are to look to Christ as an example not every institutions that bears His name. I like the way my friend put it once, “The church on earth is “the bride that only Christ could love.”

To the Christian bubble, let’s all do better 2021.

Until next time my darlings,

SOMS.

_{A huge shoutout to Mary Onishi for editing this. Mary, I appreciate you so much. Rachel Onishi was the friend that said the quote mentioned. Thank y’all!}