Love Jesus, Hate Church, by Steve McCranie, may have been one of the more interesting books I’ve read so far this year, and it’s probably worth your time to read it, too. It’s one of those “no holds barred” type of books, a sort-of “tell all” expose on church life. Granted, it’s written from one guy’s perspective and experience, but there’s a lot of stuff in this one that will ring true with you, too.
McCranie does have a rather lengthy writing style, which means there were times that I was finishing a sentence and then trying to remember what the original thought was. He also falls victim to a huge pet-peeve of the B99, and that is the need to say something and then follow it up with 3 or 4 examples of the point you were making when the original point was already understood. I think it’s ironic that he writes like a long-winded pastor who would typically be in the pulpit of a church somewhere that the author would most likely never attend. I also find it ironic that I just used 2 very lengthy sentences right after saying the author has a lengthy writing style.
McCranie mentions a handful of times throughout the book that he does, in fact, love the real church, which he sees as very different from the business of church, or the “well-oiled machine” as he likes to call it. It was nice to see him clarify the two, because I’ve always felt like people who dump on the church are like bullies picking on a girl without realizing that her bigger boyfriend is right behind them. I’m all for pointing out mistakes and practices in the church that can – and should – be corrected, but at the end of the day it’s important to remember that we’re talking about Jesus’ bride, and that should give us some pause.
The book felt angry at times, and probably should have since the author wrote this right up front:
Confession: I Love Jesus with a burning, all-consuming passion. He is the source of my life and the best thing that has ever happened to me. In a word, I am literally obsessed with Him.
But make no mistake, I Hate Church and everything it has become today. I Hate Church with a raw, loathing vengeance, with unleashed rage, with every fiber of my being. It’s like church pushes me right to the edge, right to the point of no return – and then sadistically pushes even harder, mocking, sneering, and demanding I respond. (p. 14)
Love Jesus, Hate Church is that raw and honest from the first page to the last, and McCranie does a good job of filling it with personal stories of things that he has experienced in the church and outside the church that have shaped the way he views the “well-oiled machine.” It is very possible that you’ll be put off by some (okay, most) of what he writes, but at the end of the book you’ll be wondering if the reason you were bothered is because you are part of the problem.
Truth, as they say, can set us free. Sometimes, though, it cuts us a little as it tears away the chains that held us. For me, freedom is worth the pain of being set free.
