This month I am in Cambodia and I am again playing the role of a teacher. I did not graduate college with a teaching degree and I in no way ever planned to spend time teaching English, but here I am. What I have noticed in Zambia and as well as in Cambodia is that the students are just memorizing. They have no idea to the meaning behind the words/phrases they are saying they just know that when you point to that phrase that’s what they are supposed to say. If I ask them what sound the letter “a” makes they can’t tell me. Some of them don’t even know what the letter “a” is. They just learned to memorize the alphabet. So I am spending time going back to the basics. I am now teaching these kids the different sounds that each letter makes in hopes that it will help them to actually be able to read a word. English is hard, but if you don’t know even the basics it’s even harder to understand. I spent some time talking to God about my frustrations with the way the students had been taught and He showed me how church relates to this.
When it comes to church we make it so complicated. We have different denominations and we argue about whose theological doctrine is right. In churches we get upset over the color of the carpet or the music that the worship band plays and if we don’t like something we simply just leave. We have made church about us and what we want but in reality it’s not supposed to be about us. My pastor would always ask the congregation “Whose the church?” Our response, “We are!”
You see church isn’t a building. Church is meant to be a gathering of believers to worship the one true living God. It shouldn’t matter to people what color the carpet is, or what people wear to church, or how people talk and walk. But we have made church to be so complicated with making it all about us when in reality it’s simple. Church is about God.
If we went back to the basics of remembering why we come together as believers we would find it simple. We don’t gather together because we like the music the band is playing. We don’t gather together because we want to hear a guy stand up and preach a funny sermon. We don’t gather together to see our friends. No, we gather together to worship God with other believers. It’s that simple.
So if it’s that simple then my question is why are we trying to make church so complicated?
Fundraising Update: I currently need over $4000 by January 1. If I do not meet this deadline I will have to go home early. I do not want to go home early. I ask that you would prayerfully consider donating any amount of money to my account. All donations are tax deductible and any amount will help. All you have to do is click on Support Me.
