NO, I'M NOT JUDGING

I MUST CONFESS,
I HAVE BEEN ATTENDING THIS CHURCH
BECAUSE OF THE PARTICULAR PASTOR THERE -
A VERY WELL-KNOWN PARTICULARMAN
IN THIS PARTICULAR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY.
AT FIRST, I WAS EXCITED - WOW! GREG LAURIE?
REALLY?
WOW! I THOUGHT, AS I SAT WAY IN THE BACK,
SECTION Z,
LEPROSY COLONY,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE HANDICAPPED ZONE.
I WAS SOON TO LEARN THAT THE FIRST SEVEN
ROWS OR SO ARE RESERVED FOR THE USHERS
AND THEIR FAMILIES AND THEIR BESTIES.
WAIT, I THOUGHT TO MYSELF,
ISN'T THAT A LITTLE BASS-ACKWARDS,
AS MY GRANDDADDY WOULD SAY?
AND WHEN AN USHER NAMED JEFF YELLED
AT ME FOR WANTING TO SIT CLOSER
SO I COULD READ THE WORDS OF THE SONGS
ON THE VERY LARGE MONITORS,
A HARD THING TO DO
FROM THE LEPROSY COLONY
WITH EVERYONE IN THE GINORMOUS CHURCH
STANDING UP ALL AROUND YOU.
AND, BTW, PRAISING MY SWEET JESUS
IS MY FAVORITE THING TO DO.
AND THEN, ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT,
WANTING SOME MEAT IN MY LIFE,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS LEARNING MORE
AND MORE AND MORE
ABOUT MY LORD,
THE THREE USHERS LAUGHED AT ME
WHEN I ASKED IF I COULD SIT
WITHIN SPITTING DISTANCE.
AND DO YOU KNOW THAT MY BEST FRIEND
IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE
SAT IN THAT CHURCH
FOR TWO ENTIRE YEARS
ALL BY HER BEAUTIFUL SELF
WITH NO ONE SPEAKING TO HER?
AND I HAD FELT BAD THAT I HAD SAT
THERE FOR A YEAR WITHOUT MAKING FRIENDS.
WHAT KIND OF CHURCH IS THIS?
THE PASTOR HAS THESE BIG STADIUM-SIZED
FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD REVIVALS.
AND ALL OF THESE PEOPLE COME FORWARD
TO ASK JESUS INTO THEIR HEARTS
AND INVITED TO HARVEST TO GET TO KNOW MORE
ABOUT OUR LORD.
BUT IF THEY DO DECIDE TO COME THERE,
WILL THEY CONTINUE THEIR QUEST
OF HAPPINESS
OR JUST GIVE UP OUT OF LONLINESS?
WILL SOMEONE WHO THINKS HE IS SPECIAL
BECAUSE HE IS A HEAD USHER
YELL AT A HURTING SOUL
FOR NO OTHER REASON
THAN THAT THEY ARE DISABLED?
WHAT HAVE WE COME TO?
IF JESUS WALKED INTO THAT CHURCH.
WOULD HE BE TURNED AWAY?
IT SAYS CLEARLY IN GOD'S WORD
THAT WE ARE NOT TO ATTEND A CHURCH
JUST BECAUSE OF SOME 'FAMOUS' PASTOR.
THE QUESTION IS, MY SWEET JESUS,
WHY MUST I REMAIN?
HOW AM I, ONE PERSON, TO CHANGE
THIS POWERFUL ENTITY
KNOWN AS GREG LAURIE?
BUT I SHALL STAND
AS BEST I CAN,
MY PEACE SIGN FLYING FREELY,
AND MY HANDS RAISED HIGH IN PRIDE
OF BEING YOUR BRIDE.
NOT AFRAID.
AND CERTAINLY NOT ASHAMED
TO SAY YOUR NAME.
MY SWEET JESUS.






1 CORINTHIANS 1:11-17 -- MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, SOME FROM CHLOE'S HOUSEHOLD HAVE INFORMED ME THAT THERE ARE QUARRELS AMON YOU.  WHAT I MEAN IS THIS: ONE OF YOU SAYS, "I FOLLOW PAUL"; ANOTHER, "I FOLLOW APOLLOS"; ANOTHER, "I FOLLOW CEPHAS"; STILL ANOTHER, "I FOLLOW CHRIST." IS CHRIST DIVIDED? WAS PAUL CRUCIFIED FOR YOU? WERE YOU BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF PAUL? I THANK GOD THAT I DID NOT BAPTIZE ANY OF YOU EXCEPT CRISPUS AND GAIUS, SO NO ONE CAN SAY THAT YOU WERE BAPTIZED IN MY NAME. (YES, I ALSO BAPTIZED THE HOUSEHOLD OF STEPHANAS; BEYOND THAT, I DON'T REMEMBER IF I BAPTIZED ANYONE ELSE.) FOR CHRIST DID NOT SEND ME TO BAPTIZE, BUT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL -- NOT WITH WISDOM AND ELOQUENCE, LEST THE CROSS OF CHRIST BE EMPTIED OF ITS POWER.