A Point of Clarification

A friend recently asked me about what I'm doing. Having seen my list a couple blogs back, my friend wondered about the nature of the list of things that I mentioned churches often ask people to do. I must clarify, that I do not endorse the list, nor believe the list to be complete or exhaustive let alone doable even lacking numerous Christian disciplines. So, for clarification's sake, here is a portion of my response to the inquiry.

"Now, as far as the list goes, the point of the list was more of parody. Many churches overcommit and overcomplicate following Jesus. In a sincere effort to help, people often times ask others to do more than they can. So, when I think about the things that people are asked to do in a church, I feel for them. That is the why I am conducting my experiment.

"As of Sunday (yesterday), I am, for the sake of discovery, doing everything I'm asked to do in any church service I attend. My hope is that I can fully understand how much churches ask, and if it is too much.

"The message of Jesus is simple, know him. Receive his grace and give him your heart. Simple as it may be, applying it can be very difficult, and sometimes gets complicated.

"The list of things that churches ask is not my own, and as a licensed pastor (who happens to work at a music store) makes me concerned for people who go to churches and try to follow Jesus sincerely.
Following Jesus is more about being than doing, the problem is - the easiest way to reach being is by doing certain things. Which things? How often? How many times? How hard? There is the debate - and rather than keeping life simple, many times churches elect to make things complicated."

I should add, that one other point of this experiment is to grow personally. Sometimes, doing to much can actually be healthy in a strange way. Working "too hard" at something can produce growth. That is the point of practice and repetition, to get better at something.