Sunday church left me fired up and inspired, but not for the reason you may think. I immediately had to find a Starbucks, order a hot chai tea, and sit down to start writing.
Let me preface this by saying that I consider myself a deeply spiritual person, not bound by any one religion, per se. I am able to see truth in most religions, and continue to practice respect for the beliefs of others. I am always in search of life’s big questions, seeking new experiences and opportunities for growth and inspiration. I value time with myself for reflection and contemplation, and I value time with others to build a sense of community and brotherhood.
A strong focus on building my first startup, blogging, and interviewing experts on different topics, all revolve around connecting people to their favorite teachers, thought leaders, authors, motivators and coaches in a different way. It is important for me to immerse myself into the world of “talks” in order to fully understand every aspect.
A church circuit in the my area seemed like another great opportunity for me to observe, study and evaluate the art of public speaking, the speakers themselves and the messages being conveyed. I would be doing myself and others a great disservice if I were to not mention my experience Sunday. Out of respect for the church and it’s attendees, all will remain anonymous.
From the moment I drove up, I felt welcome. Selfless volunteers were guiding traffic and parking cars in VIP sections, opening doors with genuine smiles and greetings, and ushering families, couples, teenagers, children and singles (like me) to our seats.
There was an energy of light and harmony felt throughout the crowds. Neon colors were lighting the stage for a band of 7 talented individuals. People of all cultures and walks of life were smiling and raising their hands in faith. My eyes started to tear up when I saw a performance of young children bouncing and dancing across the stage. I felt great…and then it was time for the pastor’s sermon.
I expected to see him in person, but the large screen came down and I quickly realized he was not present and at another church location. It is understood that many modern day, non-denominational churches are organized in this way for growth and to bring awareness to the masses. This did not bother me in the slightest because I was in the midst of feeling a faint tingling surge throughout my body in anticipation of the message I was about to hear. After all, he is in such great demand that multiple church locations were about to eat up every word.
I will say with great disappointment that I did not agree with what was being taught to this crowd of eager, enthusiastic, and caring individuals. The message felt incomplete and wrong in ways that I will try to put into words. Deep down I heard my inner voice screaming at me to walk up on the stage, in front of the screen and pastor, to tell everyone how life trulycan be. As nervous as I would have been to walk up on the stage, my feelings of respect for all those around me overrode my need to prove a point.
He spoke of the meaning in “forward thinking” or “eternal thinking”. I will use quotations to summarize what was said by the pastor, to the best of my ability. Even with some truth to what was said, the lack of answers with no assurance given left me disheartened. Not for myself, but for those in the audience who may have been discouraged afterwards. I will challenge the message to include some important points.
“As children we are fearless in believing that all our dreams will come true. At the time, we believed that whatever we wanted, we could accomplish. We have no idea of the pressures we would face in pursuing our dreams. The fairy tales teach us that there will always be a ‘happily ever after’. Some dreams of yours may come true and some may never transpire. Whenever you accomplish a dream, that good feeling never lasts long. Our dreams that we want to accomplish will be full of disappointment.”
He made mention to unfulfilled dreams, such as the day-to-day grind of a disappointing job, divorce, disease, and loss of loved ones. There was no mention of the fact that these difficult times in our life are meant to teach us lessons for the purpose of growth. What about the truth and beauty that can be revealed from the result of any of these incidents? Are we not meant to be broken open in order to love more and understand faith?
According to the pastor’s sermon, the only answer to any of these difficult situations (that was stated) is that “we are meant to live out our dreams in heaven”. Where is faith for our life in this message? The only situation where this sermon may have been helpful to me, is if I was on my deathbed. Even then I would probably tell you that an unfulfilled dream led me to a more amazing experience that I could have ever dreamed of. Regardless of age or situation, it is never too late to give up on dreams. This God force can create miracles every day.
We should be teaching younger generations to chase their dreams now and always! In the very moment you are able to tap into your power of creativity, passion and purpose, your dreams are coming true. We should not be teaching our children to only put hope into the eternal afterlife of riches. We need to learn how to conquer our fears, challenge ourselves and know that a phenomenal power is with us every step of the way.
“The adventure and beauty you are always waiting for is waiting for you in eternal life.” Is that it? There was no mention of hope for our present life. I think we need to pay close attention to the words we say and what we are trying to teach. The adventure and beauty is all around us in the present, if we choose to see it.
I don’t disagree with the anticipation in the thought of what an afterlife holds for us, but I promote finding sacred experiences in the present and in the eternal life. If we put all hopes and dreams into the belief of a power in the future that is separate from us, we are missing the big picture.
In closing of the service he states, “Give now. What if you die tomorrow with all of your money in the bank? You will not be rewarded for what was left behind. Give generously now. If you love God, worship and obey him, he will reward you in Heaven.” I feel like this statement promotes guilt and fear into the souls of those who are looking for peace. There is a better way to foster the art of giving.
After this uncomfortable situation, I decided it was time to leave so I smiled at those who originally greeted me when I walked out. My purpose is not to bash any beliefs, religions, churches, or pastors, but I think we should all take a closer look at the teachers we surround ourselves with and the messages being conveyed.
Humans are not built for perfection. I have great respect for this entire community and what they stand for. Please stay true to the dreams that your soul yearns for in this life. And yes, this is only the beginning.
