Turbocharged Generation

We live the era of specializations. The post modern legacy brings us as a gift in all its content the personalization, or, better yet, the specialization. It’s not enough to be simple, it must have specialty. Time signs, some say. Modernity, others say. Whatever it is, one thing is right: that’s reality!

Nobody anymore looks for, for example, a general practitioner. The right thing to do is to look for the “pinkie finger” specialist for the left foot, for if you are not careful you may end up going to the “big finger” specialist for the right foot. If we go deeper, this specialization will inexorably lead to individualization. And the individualization leads to arrogance and isolation. Thus, we enter the postmodern whirl. Everyone does what they want… buy what they want… and there are goods for every taste. If today someone thinks of buying a green anise-flavored in a yellow packing, if they look for it, they will find. If they don’t, just contact the Customer Service Department of the company, if you are in the mood. The company will make your custom chocolate just to win over a customer. Is that good? Yes, it is! When it comes to business, yes! But when it comes to church…

We are living the accessories era, which is a reflection of individuality. Do you want to have a basic car (from the masses) or do you want accessories (from the individual)? Do you want a factory model, those that anybody can have, or you pay more to have a car with windshield wiper, double rubber and integrated perception rainfall system?

As a friend of mine who also is a journalist, Fábio Nazareth would say (to whom I owe the idea of this text), it’s like buying hot-dog at anybody’s hot-dog’s cart: “do you want just ‘bread and sausage’? (basic model)”, “or the madam wants it ‘complete’ (with the accessories)?”. For the accessories you understand corn, peas, mayonnaise and many other things that can “enrich” the sandwich.

A great fast-food Brazilian company (though it’s fast-food it’s Brazilian), to try to conquer the market against the main competitor, which is foreign, announces that “here you make the sandwich!” In the end what matters is to offer “something else”, or, in the business language, your Company’s differential. Good for business… bad for churches…

Even the women today don’t complain that much about the “misfortunes” in their bodies. Little breast? Turbine them! Shriveled “bum”? We fix it! Then they are all happy… feeling like they were Danielles Winnittz and Sheilas Mellos, ready to be the object of the most various xebecs that they themselves reject, but enjoy listening to. Nowadays we no longer know who the originals are… I’m not questioning if the woman is or not supposed to put silicone implants, it’s up to them, do not condemn yourself by what you approve. Good for women? Maybe! An example for churches? Not so…

We are living the turbocharged generation! It’s not worth it to be basic. You have to be “fashion” You have to have something more… the differential!

And that’s how it starts (or continues) our NONFEPC (NONsense FEstival Plaguing the Churches), the “gospel” version for  the NONsense FEstival Plaguing the Country, from the time of dictatorship, since everything now (good or bad) has to have a “gospel version”.

We are no longer looking for a simple worship. It has to be a “prophetic” worship. Though the praise is directed to God, and for God we do not prophecy, for all prophecy ends in him, there we go… what matters is to turbine.

I no longer want to be a common worshiper I have to be a Levite worshiper, though this “caste” no longer exists. Even though the Levites cease existing, when the temple stops being just the building to be the body and the priest stops being the leader, we all experience the blessings of being ourselves the real priesthood.  

I don’t look for a simple church anymore, but for a church with “purposes”. Nevertheless, a church with no purpose is not a church! If there are no purposes, what are we doing there? Am I on purpose in a church with no purposes? What’s the purpose on that?

Churches’ war for merchandising is something lurid. Churches sell themselves as beer brands. One “goes down round” the other one is “the one that everyone deserves” there is also another that is “the number one” and so on…

Nowadays churches are coupling titles on their names.

This Church – the one that lives by faith! Of course it does. If not it wouldn’t be a church.

X Church – the communion church! If there is no communion is there church?

Y Church – the church with the Lion’s face… the church is supposed to have the Lamb’s face for we are given to death everyday just as sheep to the slaughter… at least that ‘s what the Bible says…

So and so Church – a word’s church. The church that cherishes for the word doesn’t have to announce it on the label, the people will see it. It will be an honored church will fall in the sympathy of the people or in total persecution because of its faithfulness that bothers. But it’s not needed a neon label but people for they truly live the gospel. This works better than any propaganda.

A Church – the church that has wings like an eagle! The church was not called to have wings like an eagle, but legs like a man. Blessed are the FEET of those who announce peace! The word says that he who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow… not he who goes soaring… the church is called the follower of the Way… and this is the way we have to walk…

Today there is no more simple adoration. We have “war worship”, making us more bellicose than we already are… and fighting for peace.

We no more want the sheep shepherd but the nation’s apostle.

It does not serve to worship in Spirit and in truth but to do the “extravagant worship”, that from extravagant turns to be extra leaking, leaking from all sides the biggest quirks in God’s name, whom we are supposed to worship not with extravagance but with a contrite and sincere heart.

God’s Logos does not make that sense as positive’s confession’s Rhema: that’s the turbocharged word! The word itself is not enough… it must have the “revelation”.

But … I still believe we can go back to pure and simple Christianity… there are more than 7.000 that didn’t bow down to the turbocharged Baal.

I just don’t want to see, in a feel years, an advertising showing a malnourished turtle saying: “I’ve already done many TV commercial… but at that time they just wanted to know about numbers, lions, bears, eagles and some other animals… but it sucks!”

And actually it really does!

A hug,

José Barbosa Júnior – With no adds.