Centered

Written by cycleguy on September 23rd, 2014

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 We will sometimes say of another person “they are sure self-centered.” Self-centered people are no fun to be around…unless it is about them.

Matt began this chapter telling about a man named David Sharp, a mountain climber who lay dying in a cave on Mt Everest, watched as a group of 40 climbers marched right by him and paid absolutely no attention to him or the fact he was dying. They left him to die! Why? It is easy to say “Well they were on a mission” and that would be correct. One can say, “Well, they were not guaranteed Mr. Sharp would live.” And that might be correct. But to walk right past someone who was in trouble?

Sounds like a story Jesus told about two religious leaders and a Samaritan as they passed a man who had been robbed and beaten.

Every church has a culture. It can be a culture of self-centeredness. It can be a culture of programs. While every church has a culture (just like a team), not every church has a healthy culture. If a church is self-centered its focus will be upon that which benefits them. If a church is Jesus-centered, it will find its focus outward and making an effort to impact the community.

What kind of culture would you say your church has? Do you find yourself “buying into” that culture or kicking against it? Are you doing anything to try to change the culture?

 

14 Comments so far ↓

  1. Daniel says:

    Actually I don’t do anything to change things that I don’t like about my church except grumble and act as surly as possible. Perhaps then the “greeters” who seem to outnumber to people coming to the service, will get the heck out of the way. How’s that for a Christ-centered attitude? Yeah, I know, I am a work in progress.

  2. Our church is focused on serving. It’s really the first one I’ve been part of that truly seemed to do this.

  3. the Old Adam says:

    I’d say our church culture is one of friendly sinners.

    We are gathered together…hear how we are just not up to the task…and then hear what Jesus has done about it.

    Then we fellowship…and go back into the world to do what we do.

  4. floyd says:

    This could be the biggest area of disease in our society now; the self centered or the narcissist.

    When all a person thinks about is themselves then they last in God’s realm. I’ve noticed the people that always need to talk and have life be about them are always the most unhappy. So they try to be more about themselves, because that’s what the new “enlightened” tells them they should.

    And it becomes just like any other drug that promises happiness and delivers misery.

    Our church definitely strives against the flesh and it’s a fight we need to have the armor of God on to wage…

    • cycleguy says:

      Totally agree Floyd. “The first will be last and the last will be first” I seem to remember Someone saying. Glad to hear your church fights.

  5. TC Avey says:

    Church culture and our (my husband and I’s) part in it is something we have been praying about for awhile now.

  6. Michelle says:

    This weekend, our church did a sermon on pleasing God. In the message, the pastor talked about hell and for some reason, I just started crying thinking about those I had lost there. I’m really introverted, so it is hard for me to connect to others. They walk right past me. I think I give off a vibe that I’m unlovable or something. It has irritated me in the past. It still does. But then I remember I don’t approach them either. So I guess I deserve it. But this weekend, I was in the fellowship hall and the pastor approached me (I was still upset) but everyone else just walked on by. Made me really annoyed. I am selfish in wanting someone to care, but if I saw someone crying–I wonder if I would walk right past them? Just kind of upset me to think that nobody really cared or noticed, but then I guess that makes me narcissistic.

    • cycleguy says:

      i think it is hard for introverts Michelle in more ways than one. They want attention but then again don’t. They want attention but have trouble giving it. There is nothing wrong with that…it is a quirk of the personality. I definitely wouldn’t call ti narcissistic. I wonder if you have given off the vibe of “don’t bother me?” My other question is practical: if you are unhappy at that church, why are you still there and what can be done?

      It is really good to hear from you! Been a long time!! 🙂

  7. Michelle says:

    Good points all of them. I’ve church jumped enough in my life and every church, I can find something wrong with. Theologically, I like the church. It’s sound. It preaches from the actual Bible. I have some frienships there, but they are like me–introverted. So it’s work for both of us to converse. I have come to the conclusion that it isn’t the church. It’s me. I don’t know if this is where I am supposed to be and somedays I wonder if I fit in anywhere, but I figure that even if its the wrong church, God is still teaching me things. I learn a lot more when I struggle anyway :). Life is not about being happy. My entire life hasn’t been happy with a few rare moments of actually being happy–like marriage and kids and watching them grow. Otherwise, life has been hard. I can’t keep trying to find my happiness in church. I have to find it, and I think I am starting to, in God. He’s the only one who can teach me how to “be content in every situation”. In the meantime, you know what has happened is people have picked up on my honesty and even my suffering and they’ve had to think more about how to treat others who suffer. I had one guy actually tell me he was learning a lot about suffering through my painful life experiences. It’s not been easy. But I know that I’m there for some reason. I just got push through the fake smiles and learn how to minister to others, even when they aren’t doing that for me.

  8. jeff says:

    I like the good Samaritan story. All Christians I am sure understand the good Samaritan wasn’t a Christian. It is something in all of us. No matter what you believe.