Attending Church Part 3: God Hates Tattoos?
I have been writing a series on why I have great difficulty attending church. I watched a NOOMA 
When I walk into church I see lots of good looking people dressed the proper way. I see lots of happy people. When I walk home from church I see lots of people who are dirty and need help and are not happy. I find it hard to believe that all of the people who attend church are happy. I attend church and I know that I am not happy all the time. Sometimes I feel like the people I see on my walk home. I feel dirty and unworthy but on Sunday’s I can’t look like that.
I remember as a young teen seeing an older teen with a half shaved head covered in tattoos come into the evening service one night. I really had not thought about the marginalized people of the city but something inside me told me that I should go sit beside him, so I did. I talked with him in the back row and just hung out after the service talking for a bit. The sad part of all this was when, once he had left, I had a few people in my church come up and ‘talk to me’ about sitting with that type of person. I did not get it then, but something inside me couldn’t believe that I should not sit with a person at church. Maybe it was my naivety in thinking that all should be accepted. This teen kept coming to church for a few months and eventually the comments were made when he could hear them so he stopped coming.
Now I feel like that teen in church. I feel like I am not as clean as I should be, or that since I have tattoos God doesn’t want me in his building. I should not feel like that when I enter the building. What do our churches do that make people feel like that? What can we do to change it? Does your church spend time reaching out to the dirty in your town?
I challenge you to reach out to a dirty hurting person this week. Get your church to start doing it regularly. We are here to minister to the sick.
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The Jesus I read about in the Gospels would definitely hang out with people with tattoos. By showing up at church and being yourself you are giving the other people there a chance to practice living out God’s love. If they are not able to accept that gift, and if their reactions are harmful to your spirit, find another church. Not all are like the ones you descibe.
[...] Part 3: God Hates Tattoos? [...]
too many people have forgotten that they are but filthy rags when compared to Christ! Good for you on sitting with the dude and making him feel welcomed!
Jason:
I hope the move went well. Thanks for the encouragement.
indeed it did and am blogging once more…thanks for the prayers
[...] Attending Church Part 3: God Hates Tattoos? [...]
[...] churches today have this idea of sanitization permeate throughout their lives. I think of a past post regarding this sanitization. I was asked why I sat with a kid that showed up to church in a leather [...]