Travesty Christianity

My heart is heavy over the Church. I'm not writing about any specific congregation or denomination, but about the Church - the Bride of Christ. My heart is heavy for the Church in our nation. The word travesty means " a mocking imitation" and that seems to be where we dwell as the Church in America. A mocking imitation of what we are called to be and do. Our own plans and purposes mocking the very Christ we are supposed to be living. That applies to me, too. I am not writing this to point a finger, but to try to point us back to our purpose and place in today. I see very little difference in the Church and the world. I see us, the Church, living lives in pursuit of things, position and power as the world lives, instead of pursuing Christ. I see us caring more about how we look on the outside than what our hearts look like on the inside, even though our Father looks on the heart as primary. I see us scurrying to win favor from others while leaving very little place for the One Who favors us. I see us dressing to draw attention and admiration to ourselves rather than clothing ourselves in purity and holiness to draw attention to Him. I see us spending more time studying our TV screens and computer screens than studying the Word of the Living God. I see us giving more honor and homage to the Hollywood star and the athletic star than to our Morning Star, the Christ. I see us scurrying about trying to fulfill our image, or someone else's image, of what we should be doing or how we should be living rather than waiting on God's directives and resting in Him. I see us living lives full of activity and busyness, but with little purpose and destiny. I see a travesty of what the Church is meant to be. We are meant to be a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people, the Bride of Christ. Nice words. Powerful words. What do they mean and how do they apply to us?