Recycled Revivals
In a recent FB discussion about a “revival” in Reading, England, a friend said “Same recycled promises, recycled as brand new prophecies.”
That phrase sounded like it needed to be in a poem. So I wrote this - it’s a bit angry and I’m not quite as bitter as it sounds, but I ran with it -
When you’ve seen The Church rotate a bit -
When leaders leave and churches split -
When nothing surprises you any more
and when they’ve shown you out the door -
It’s hard to get excited
by their religion-business hybrid.
The same recycled promises
rebranded into prophecies
of new things God is doing
”Revival” and “Renewing”,
Buzz-word vision casting:
More tithing and more fasting.
It’s all just branding; “washes whiter”
Peddled by a brood of vipers
Selling heaven for a price:
Pay to listen to advice
From narcissistic nobodies
Who cannot see they’re pharisees.
I’m bitter, yes: I’ve had enough
of all that sacrificial stuff
A god who needs to be appeased
by tithing people, on their knees
Reminding him to love them
Because he killed his only son.
The cosmic child-abusing king -
Goliath, I slay you with this sling:
Jesus is what God looks like.
Your system is just… businesslike.