Still "Locked Away from Christ"

Note to the reader: The following was originally published as two-parts back on January 5, 2014. First, I wrote Locked Away from Christ and, after I thought about it, I became so aggravated that I immediately wrote Locked Away from Christ - Parte Seconda, in lieu of deleting part one and starting all over again. This subject came up again the other day as I smoked a cigar over bourbon at my favorite hangout. It still irks me, so I decided to rewrite both posts into a single article for my current audience. I hope you enjoy it or, at least, have an opinion of your own. As always, constructive comments and alternate opinions are cherished.

So you want to worship.  The spirit has entered your life for the briefest of moments, perhaps for the first time in many years, and you find yourself standing at the threshold of your local church.  Is it Sunday morning?  No?  Well, then good luck with that.  You will find the doors to worship are locked tight.

Alabama native, Joe McKeever, has been a pastor for 55 years, and is the author of "10 Signals That Say "You are Not Welcomed in This Church". I have reprinted his first signal, here:

1. The front door is locked.

One church where I was to preach has a lovely front facade which borders on the sidewalk. The front doors are impressive and stately. So, after parking to the side of the building, I did what I always do: walked to the front and entered as a visitor would.

Except I didn't go in.

The doors were locked. All of them.

After walking back around the side and entering from the parking lot, I approached an usher and asked about the locked door. "No one comes in from that entrance," he said. "The parking lot is to the side."

I said, "What about walk-ups? People from the neighborhood who come across the street."

He said, "No one does that."

He's right. They stay away because the church has told them they're not welcome.
One church I visited had plate glass doors where the interior of the lobby was clearly visible from the front steps. A table had been shoved against the doors to prevent anyone from entering that way. I did not ask why; I knew. The parking lot was in the rear. Regulars parked back there and entered through those doors.

That church, in a constant struggle for survival, is its own worst enemy. They might as well erect a sign in front of the church that reads, "First-timers unwelcome."

Do you see the problem?  And yet, God wants us to worship.  The church, which according to Matthew shouldn't even be frequented, seems to operate contrary to God's wish.  Church hierarchy, though, would have us buy into their particular philosophy, tithe till we weep, and then lock us out until the next time they dictate for worship and squeezing more blood from the poor.  

That moment of spirituality you think you're experiencing?  Don't let it go!  Take yourself for a moment of quiet meditation, anywhere, and have a one-on-one discussion with the Lord.  If you don't want to go it alone, then ask someone to sit with you and pray, or discuss what's happening with you; connect with somebody and share your moment.  Or, go online and see if there is a list of ministers in your area that can walk you through worshiping without a building.  It is a concept I fully embrace!

Organized religion would have us tithing our hard earned gains to keep structures of worship in good shape.  It also fills religious coffers and, well, talk about your non-transparency.  How about some good old fashion outdoor worship?  How about a walk by the lake where you can take in all of God's wonders?  If you read the Bible, take it along and read a few pages.  See if there is a religious or spiritual coffee group that meets, or start one yourself.  Consider doing volunteer work with others of like faith, or differing faiths to expand your horizons a bit.

Get out of the physical church and start to really worship!  Learn to praise God on God's terms and in God's cathedral.  Where is God's cathedral?  Open your front door, and walk in his creation.  It is everywhere if you only open your eyes to it.

Locked places of worship do really piss me off.  

When I was living in Olympia, Washington, I took a stroll one morning after feeding the homeless.  They told me about a local church being used as a homeless shelter at night.  Not to my surprise, when I arrived at the church it was locked up tight and had one of those real estate agent key safes on the handle so only those with the combination could retrieve the key for entry.  Why is this? 

Well, you see, the church is a vault full of valuable "things" that God, surely, must demand it to have on hand, for some logical reason.  It brings nothing to the worship and none of the opulence feeds the poor, although it does offer bragging rights about how rich a particular church is.  I think Peter started this heresy not long after Christ died on the cross.  It's a good thing he waited, too, as Christ wouldn't have stood for it.  He threw the money changers out of the temple.  He asked those who would follow his path to give up worldly things.  These "bragging rights" equate to selling religion, and it also equates to pridefulness.  I'm sorry.  I thought we were supposed to be humble before God.  My bad! 

I talk quite a bit about Islamic heretics that embarrass their religion by re-interpreting the Qur'an for their own agenda, yet I can't help but accuse the Christian hierarchy of their own heretical behavior, behavior that has been going on since before the founding of Islam, so let's not be too quick to toot the moral Christian horn until we start selling the Vatican's art collection to feed, cloth, house and educate the poor, homeless, and hungry.

I have challenged priests and ministers before, and I will continue to do so until I see a change in their behavior.  I want to see them downtown in full "uniform" so all of us can see them in action among the needy.  If the church wants to change the world view, let them start there so we can all view it.  I have a feeling that if more people could see the pious doing a bit more "one-on-one" in public, the public might just climb on the bandwagon to help out.  I would love to see young clergy in a park talking to young folks and relating Christian values to some real issues.  I, for one, would be interested enough to stop and listen.  I would even interact.  Maybe it would turn into a weekly event in the park.  A sermon in God's cathedral beats one in an opulent church any day, and its real!  It would be "in your face" discussion of beliefs and expectations, of values and desires.  Hell, the young clergy might learn more in that one day than he would in a lifetime.

Church argument against this tact is going to be that clergy is busy doing other work, like giving comfort to those in the hospital.  Well, I hate to be cold and heartless but, maybe clergy should have been on their toes and caught them earlier.  Waiting until you're dying to repent is like reaching for your seat belt as you hit the brick wall doing ninety.  The bricks are, however, the last things that go through your mind.   One might consider repenting when it's actually believable.  My understanding is, if they really want to repent, all they have to do is look to God and accept Christ into their heart and mind.  Isn't that the refrain touted by evangelists?  So, if this is true, then clergy has ample time to devote to those sinners with plenty of life left.  They have more than enough time to devote to changing the world for the betterment of mankind. 

The church always had the excuse of listening to everyone's dirty little secrets in confession.  I love the screen between the priest and the confessing parishioner; like he doesn't know who this person is.  If you are truly repentant, God already knows.  Telling a priest isn't proving anything to God, and the priest isn't going to get you into heaven, only you can do that.  Try talking directly to God for forgiveness.  Catholics just recently did away with the need for confession for this very reason; it's your sin to reveal to God, and God already knows.  Besides, clergy should be worrying about their own less than laudable behavior instead of listening to other people's drama.

And, now, on top of everything else, the church has taken away the entire concept of sanctuary.  No longer can one run to the church in hopes of holding the laws of the land at bay with the separation of church and state.  Now the church has locked the doors and left your fate to the mercy of others.  God's clergy has no place, much less time, for you.  It would seem they are much too busy counting their pieces of silver to be bothered keeping the votive candles lit in the devotional vestibule of "God's House."

One saving grace, if one were to look, would be opening the chuch evenings for the homeless to find shelter.  it seems the rest of us will have to wait for scheduled services to worship, even though being seen in a church to pray would be contrary to Matthew 6, as stated earlier.

I could go on, but I think you get the gist of my personal displeasure with locking the doors to places of worship.  I'd rather see a simple stone church, an altar of hand-hewn wood, and a simple cross on the wall; a shrine will do.  If someone steals the simple cross, God bless them, they must need it more than the church.  If they are caught in the theft, ask them if they are hungry as well, and feed them.  If they are tired, give them a blanket and shelter.  This is the freely given message of Christ.  There is no need of locks.

Of course, I could be wrong,  but only the clergy would probably think so.

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world renowned, Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as lead Chaplain and Chaplain Program Liaison, at the regional medical center.