more pet peeves 3

1. when the church embraces pick,choose and delete theology.
2. when one's connections determines your role in the ministry of the church such as deacons,elders and teacher and not the biblical requirements.

3. when minority seminary students graduate and say show me the money and go to rich white churches in the suburbs or the low crime glitzy preppy city neighborhoods where they are safe and comfortable and face minor challenges-instead of choosing a poor urban church in a crime ridden part of the city(or plant a church) and live and teach like jesus knowing the same grace that provides for the needs of the little bird will provide for him and their families,that the same God that protected moses,joseph,daniel and his friends and other men who followed and obeyed God is the same God who will protect them and their families and the same same savior they preach and teach and point to-to those who need salvation in the rich churches is the same savior that is needed by the same minorities in those poor churches and living in the shun parts of the city to be preached,taught and pointed to Him who died for both rich and poor.

4. where the church instead of influencing such areas as politics,society and everday life and address important issues such as health,jobs,abortion,domestic abuse,crime,drugs,aids etc instead are influenced by them and instead becomes a pulpit for them.

5. when churches proclaim themselves multicultural and in their congregations do not include hispanics or african americans-even though they are near areas that are heavily populated by these groups.

6. when cults are more understanding,compassionate,sympathic and accepting etc than the church.

7. when the church is filled with easter/christmas christains.

8. when the church sweeps a problem under the rug or mimics a ostrich and hides its head in the sand hoping either the problem goes away or nobody chooses to see.

9. when the church preaches on tithing and it seems more like a infomerical,telethon or a health/wealth money scam.

10. when seminary education overshadows the biblical reqirements of choosing or becoming a pastor.

11. when the church literally or spiritually moves to the suburbs to flee the city.( this is a true account a solidly reformed spanish church moves from hoboken to coqui land(secluded/isolated area that offers no public transportation to reach it)to tonnelle new jersy where the church's nearest neighbor is a cemetry and the pastor's study and home has a good scenic view of it!!!

12 when cell phones and itsgrowing family members goes off during worship services and they answer it!!!

13. when babies start crying during the worship service and the poor parents are greeted and blessed by dirty looks/stares and the hellish gnashing of teeth.

14. when the church resembles a medival monastry during the "dark ages" than a city on the hill or the salt of the earth.

15. when the church promotes (or condones) itself as a meatmarket for singles to meet.


16.when the church talks a great talk but does not walk the walk.

17. when a pastor enters the church not as a calling but as a career choice.

18. when economic,social potential(or both) determines whether a church is planted in a neighborhood or not.

19. when churches are more concerned with numbers than dealing with individuals like the gospel calls us to do.

20. when true unity of the church is based on either who you know,who you are,what you do or non essentials of the faith instead of the essentials of the faith.