Carrying the ‘spiritual’ load

I wish I could take back a couple thousand times when I used the word “spiritual” in a positive setting. To me now it is probably one of the most abused words in the language of faith. “Oh, he’s a very spiritual man.” Or, “Our pastor is real spiritual,” or “Our church is spiritual.”

Personally I have never gotten along with spiritual people and that may explain why so many would leave my ministry. Many have left just thinking, “Hell, he’s not spiritual or this church is not spiritual.” My contention is that these folks probably know more about spit from their own mouths than they know about spirituality.

Think: would an Abraham ever think of himself as a spiritual person? Probably not. Surely, he was called and hallmarked obedience in his life, but spiritual?

How about a Moses? Would he ever take a look at himself and give an evaluation of “spiritual?” How could he knowing full well he was the one who committed the murder of an Egyptian and then later disobeyed God by striking the rock rather than touch the rock when Israel was in need of water. Because of his disobedience he was not allowed to lead the Hebrews into the Promised Land. Maybe he would view himself as contrite and forgiven.

Would David evaluate himself as spiritual? No way. Murderer. Adulterer. Even though a great worship leader and composer of most of the Psalms, he saw himself as someone who brought people to God rather than pushed them from God. “Spiritual” folks have the tendency to make a bad case for God.

Neither would Jesus or Paul or Peter accept for themselves the advertisement of “spiritual.”
I have to admit there was a time when I preached that Christians should become spiritual. But what I did not know was that I was essentially asking them to become hypocrites which many willingly did. Only God can be spiritual and there’s some evidence in the Bible that even he doesn’t like the appellation.

No one can carry the load of being spiritual. Because there will be that one time when even though you have every intention, you bend to sin and its ugliness.

So, I am giving up the thought of building a spiritual church. I want to build a real church where both pastor and people can be real and if I slip and say “o hell” that there’s enough love and forgiveness in the church to overlook. If you really want to know what spiritual means, check out Galatians 6:1.

Such a church will be meeting the first Sunday in June at the Holiday Inn in Fayetteville at 11 a.m. You just might want to be part of a church where you can be real and still grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.