Defining the Masquerade
Yesterday, I posted some notes and a video that God used to teach me some important life lessons. The lesson was further hammered home when I watched this series of videos, and saw how bad certain sections of the church have become (I’m gonna post that series of videos here soon).
God has made it clear to me that the church, as a whole, needs to change … drastically change. Why? Because we’re not getting the job done anymore.
So today, I want to go through the song I posted yesterday and let you know what the lyrics mean to me.
Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin’ so small
I hear this in the first person. Is there anyone else in church who feels like I do? Is there anyone else here who’s not perfect? Am I the only one?
Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they’ll soon discover
That I don’t belong
Because everyone else here seems to have it all together. It sure does seem like no one else has any problems. Lots of smiles, lots of hugs, lots of suits and ties, nice clothes, and happy faces. I wonder how long it’ll be before they figure out that things aren’t going that well for me. I messed up a lot this last week. I can’t count the number of times I sinned. If church is a place where perfect people go, I’m out of place.
So I tuck it all away, like everything’s okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I’ll believe it too
Well, I certainly don’t want to leave. I need church. But I can’t let the people here know that I’m not perfect, so I’ll just pretend I am. I want to look like them, smiles, nice clothes, I’ll even throw an AMEN in there every once in a while. I can just blend in.
So with a painted grin, I play the part again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them
Everyone looks so happy, so perfect, so sinless. I want them to see me like that too.
Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
This is where the author switches to the 3rd party. He detects what’s going on. The church is full of fake people. We plaster on smiles, find our pew, sing, listen, and head out to lunch. Church is where you learn to look right, where you learn the lingo, where you perfect your acting skills.
But if the invitation’s open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade
Maybe if people were more honest about their lives, maybe if no one pretended they lived a perfect week, and maybe if dropped the lingo, the act, and the fake smiles, church could be a place where people came to get healed, and not just a place where wounds were hidden for the sake of blending in.
Is there anyone who’s been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who’s traded
In the altar for a stage
Guilty! Am I the only one who’s decided it’d better to act right than get right?
The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart
Yeah, I think many of us have gotten pretty good at the performance. We know what to say, how to say it; we’ve learned to shake hands, nod our heads, raise our hands. And for me, it’s only in my quiet time with God, all alone, do I really feel comfortable admitting that I’m dirty, that I’m sinful, that I’m hurt, broken, unhappy, or whatever it is that I may be feeling at the time. Church, however, is not the place for that. At least, that’s the impression I get from everyone else.
But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be
I wonder … would it actually be better to be honest? How would you react? How would the church react?
Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay
Maybe you don’t understand, I’ve done some pretty bad things. No really, these aren’t little sins. Are you going to condemn me to hell, and pretend you haven’t done anything bad either? Are you going to pretend that pride isn’t a worse sin than drinking or smoking? Are you going to look at me as the church’s “token sinner” and turn me into a charity case, as if no one in the church has done anything worse than me? How condescending! Where’s the love of Jesus?
I’m sick of it. People bragging about how they’ve never drank, smoked, or had pre-marital sex. So what? You’ve done worse! Get off your high horse and join me in the fact that we ALL sin … BAD sins.
What a song! That person catches the essence of church beautifully, both what it is, and what it SHOULD BE. Yeah, church needs to change. We can’t deny it anymore, it’s just not working, in fact, it’s counterproductive in some cases. We need to understand that God’s grace isn’t just about where He brought you from, but from where He continues to bring you out.
I’m afraid the Jesus we see on Sundays is not the same Jesus in the Bible.
Church needs to change.
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Please don’t take this as a total disagreement with what you say (actually agree with your sentiments quite a bit), but do want to clarify one thing: “Church” is not a verb, nor is it an inanimate object. Instead, the church is me, the church is you, the church is every filthy rotten sinner saved by the soverign electing grace of the beautiful Savior through not merit of our own and transformed from aliens and foreigners into a household of faith, made nigh to God.
While our meetings/worship/gatherings (some other verb may be appropriate), the church herself cannot change — on her own at least — and should not change except to be more like her groom: Jesus Christ. And that change will only happen as a result of the grace of Jesus Christ making his bride more like himself (see the end of Ephesians 5).
I (somewhat piously, actually … forgive me … but the advice is good nonetheless) recommend mimicking Paul’s at the end of Ephesians 3 where he’s praying for the church. That’s the only real hope for change: Do right, pray hard and love Jesus.
That song was not written for the ones who lived without sin last week. It was written for me!
Matthew,
Point well taken
I actually was referring to the people in much of what I was saying.
However, I used the word “church” in many different contexts in the post (you’ll have to forgive me, it was written in much passion). I do believe the buildings need to change, the style of our gatherings needs to change, the methods need to change, but at the root of it all (as was, I assume, your point) WE need to change … the church … each and every one of us need to change drastically. As you said, the only way that will happen is if Jesus decides to change us.
He’s changing me. Thank God, He’s changing me.
I think He’s changing you too
Thanks for de-lurking
First off, I watched that series of videos that you posted a link to, and I have had exposure to their website before, and went into the watching of them with the thought of hatred for their hatred. But after watching them, I felt only sorrow. Not just for the children, but the adults as well.
Satan is quite the expert in the area of evil, I must admit, if there was a Ph.D in Evil, Satan would be the Magna Cum Laude of his graduating class!
I too believe that the modern day New Testament church is in need of revival, but I agree with Beth Moore that it can only happen “One Christian at a time…”
I have a post on my own weblog that will address this soon, so I don’t want to type a 5000 word essay here. hahahaha…
I do agree with the commenter that we do need to pray. Pray for a revival in our own hearts first, then and only then, after removing the beam from our own eye can we attempt the removal of the mote from our brothers eye.
With Satan having the majority of control over the mainstream media, it makes it hard for the new convert, who invisions the “church” (building) as a place of “Socialization” and not fellowship, to start out with a diet of milk, as opposed to wanting to immediately move to the “meat” of the word.
Sadly enough, after recently doing a study on this fact. I must put part of the blame on the “church” (members) because of a lack of enthusiasm towards the new convert, or the new visitor of a church.
If you disagree, then ask yourself… Does almost EVERY MEMBER of our church jump at the chance to greet visitors? Does your members when greeting them make more than “small talk” with the visitor? Do the deacons and pastor follow up after the service during the week? Is your church “visitor friendly by posting signs around the church directing visitors on where to go, so they do not feel “lost”? Does your church strive to follow up with the new convert with bible and doctrine study?
Nowadays the unsaved get their impression of the church from the media! Ie: God Hates Fags… Terri Schaivo incident, Alabama court house 10 commandments statue, San Diego war over a Cross in a public place? Past indescretions of pastors in the news?
The media primes these unsaved long before the “witness” reaches them! How many times have we seen “positive” media attention about the “church” (body of Christ) Last Easter it was the DiVinci code movie, this Easter it was the grave and bones of Jesus.
Revival starts with me and you! A “Silent Witness” goes alot farther than being preached at about God. Let the unsaved see evidence in YOU, then the Holy Spirit can soften their hearts.
Revival in the church as a whole starts with 2 or more & the Lord in their presence. And they tell two friends, and so on, and so on…
About 3 years ago, my husband and I reached the same conclusion about church that you have reached. There were several key events that occurred, but it all came to a head when one of my husband’s homosexual co-workers expressed interest in Christianity, and my husband knew there was NO WAY he could risk inviting her to the church we were attending at the time. We wanted to be a part of a church that welcomed everyone – in word AND action – where we could stop playing the church game and be ourselves. Thank God, we have found just such a place! Our church doesn’t have a steeple, there’s not a hymnal to be found, and you won’t see anyone in a suit and tie. What you WILL see is all kinds of people, in all stages of life, worshiping God together. My church has truly embraced the concept of “hate the sin, love the sinner.”
If you truly want to be part of changing the face of the church, check out http://www.thepoint-spartanburg.org. This is a new church that I believe is in your area, and you would find that the pastor is a man after your own heart.
Trust me – the path you have started down is not an easy one. When you’ve learned the church game well, it’s very hard to step out of that inherent ease and comfort. But I hope you are able to turn your convictions into actions and really make a difference for the Church.
Shelly,
I’m actually looking for a church right now, so I may come and check The Point out soon. It’s a bit of a drive for me here in Greenville, but hey, so is NewSpring
Thanks everyone for all the encouragement. I can’t tell you how much I needed it.
Nathan
I have loved this song since the very first day I heard it because it touches exactly how I feel. We need to be real, we need to stop hiding behind masks, we need to stop judging one sin over another, and we need to accept and connect. WE need to…each and every one of us.
Growing up I used to believe that I was the only one who played the games…but becoming vulnerable to reach out is a strength…the games must stop…we can’t be shiny plastic people any more!