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So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore By
Jake Colsen
(A Book Review by Virginia H. Lane) Have well-meaning friends ever said to you "So you don't want to go to church anymore?" in an effort to shame you into doing so? Have you squirmed and tried to justify your reasons for not always being in attendance? What do you think when hearing the title So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore Well--this book isn't the usual work on this topic. Jake wanted to give the public access to his story while still being written. Therefore, So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore is free and online at http://www.JakeColsen.com . The first ten chapters are available. If you don't wish to read while sitting at your computer, the table of contents page includes links to a pdf version. Appearing to be a fluff book in the first pages, it is exactly the opposite. The story sets one to thinking about their own experiences with the religious system as they travel along with Jake. It's a fairly quick read, yet I found myself taking breaks to think about what I was reading--and rereading some of the passages. Through a journey of several years, Jake learned that relationship with God is first and foremost. Many people believe in the "gospel," the good news that Christ brought to this earth 2000 years ago. They go to church every week, presumably to learn what he represented and follow Christ in a life that reflects good rather than evil. What does it mean to follow Christ? God loved each of us so much that he sent Jesus to earth to die for us. God loved us that much...do we love Him back? Or we inhibited because we think he only loves us if we behave in a certain way. Are we seeking his approval? How can we draw closer to Him? Jake addresses these questions and more. The reality is that "there's not one thing you can do to make him love you any more today; and there's not one thing you can do to make him love you any less either. He just loves you." It's really understanding His free gift of love that is the key to relationship with Him. As disciples of Jesus, we shouldn't work to change people from the outside but to "help people get to know Jesus better and let him change them from the inside. It would revolutionize the life of the church and the lives of its people." Jake also addresses the fact that many people have been hurt by organized religion. Unfortunately, religious systems often prey on the insecurity of people who haven't learned how to live in Father's love, follow his voice and depend on him. A problem with the church as we know it "is that it has become nothing more than mutual accommodation of self-need. ...Rather than become an authentic demonstration of God's life and love in the world, it ends up being a group of people who have to protect their turf." While some parts of this aren't all bad, the issue is that when we love God and follow Him, we fellowship with people out of love and enthusiasm rather than seeking fulfillment of a need. "The church is God's people learning to share His life together." This can be in the corporate setting or at more casual gatherings. What Jake has to say in So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore may be surprising to most readers. One statement that really got me was "Where there is no trust, there is no relationship." It certainly got me to thinking about my past and present relationships with God, church and friends. Follow Jake's journey as an experience that may lead to your own freedom into fellowship with Christ. -- Note from the reviewer: I've referred to the author of this work as Jake because that's how the author refers to himself. However, So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore is an amalgamation of the experiences of two authors who write under the single pseudonym, Jake Colsen, about their journey into relationship with God. I've read the first 10 chapters twice and am looking forward to "the rest of the story" in the remaining three chapters to be written. The subtitle, The Memoirs of an Overjoyed Traveler, hints that all turns out well by the end. |
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