Starbucks, anyone?

I've never been a a Fellowship service in my life, so I definitely can't say I know anything about the church firsthand. I know a ton of people who go there, and they seem like great people, but for some reason this new building feels strange to me. I really can't judge the people or the place or the goals, and I'm not trying to point at them negatively at all, but knowing today was the first service in the castle has made me think about some things. Maybe these things apply, maybe they don't. Doesn't matter.

I was writing in "The Journal IV" last night, and whenever that happens and I'm not at school it's pretty much stream of consciousness. I wrote about my Friday night (mentioning Andrew, Tad, and Steven), and I mentioned the new Fellowship building and then found myself writing, "The Church (the people of God) should be ashamed when they embrace excess." I saw the building with Steven a few weeks ago, and I just felt shocked. Cafes, huge TVs, lights, couches, vending machines, sound equipment, etc, etc, etc. A part of me wondered how much is necessary for teaching people about God, and how much is just...excess -- comfort items. Why are Christians not more broken by homelessness and sickness and cold and hunger on the streets? I guess we just don't think about it, because we're really comfortable in our 11a.m. services.

This is when I start to think about my own church, which is also building. We have four huge HD TVs on the stage, and all they do is sit there and show one word. It's excess. No one is drawn closer to God by the presence of nice TVs. But maybe someone would be drawn to God is we put those TVs in someone's house, or if we spent the money paying a family's rent for a month or two.

Saturday morning around 3:30a.m., I wondered what would happen if every middle class white person in America gave $10 to Africa, or China, or something. That could literally change the world forever. That would save thousands of lives. But you know, I enjoy going to Starbucks twice a week and spending those ten dollars there. I think I deserve it. You know, I even think it's necessary. Psh. Excess. Not me. Not you. Not the Church. [rolls eyes]

I was facebook-ing Craig through my blackberry while I was at Rave today watching Prince Caspian (excess conviction -- I'm down to $1 for Starbucks. Dang it.). We were talking about growing up and having jobs and money and things like that, and I made the comment that it's ironic how we go to school to get jobs and make money, but even when we have jobs and money, we are rarely happy. He said, "That's because people want more to have more, not to give more," and that's pretty much the greatest thing I've heard in a long time. It's so true, and it is so pathetic. We suck at life, that's what I think.

And what's really sad is that I still plan on going to Starbucks before school tomorrow morning for my Grande White Mocha with the non-fat milk and Allen's Hot Chocolate and Ashley's Tall no-water Chai and Dad's Grande Mocha...

Conviction runs deep, doesn't it?