Anne Kennedy: What's wrong with Andy Stanley

Andy Stanley and others of his ilk (basically, propagators of the "seeker driven" movement) do not preach the Gospel or anything close to it. The essence of their message is, "Be nice people, welcome everyone, and work hard on being even nicer and even more welcoming."

This, as Anne Kennedy so adeptly points out, is utterly impossible.

And so here's what's wrong with Andy Stanley, and everybody else really, because I know you're longing for my summation of three minutes of TV preaching. Here it is, ready? I Can't Do It. I can't do the work you're telling me to do. I can't be welcoming enough. I can't be happy enough. I can't be positive enough. I can't be good enough. I can't be sinless enough. I can't pray enough. I can't rest enough. I can't do it. I'll just repeat that, as if I were actually saying this to Andy Stanley, I Can't Do It. And you telling me to work harder actually just makes me angry and slightly hating of God. Stop piling work on me. I can't do it.

Rather than that, how bout cracking open that electronic bible of yours and talking about God, just for a few minutes. I really don't care about what you think I should do, or who you think God is, or what God's purpose is for my life. I'm not turning on the tv to find out what you think I should do and be. This is why, if you can't make it to church, don't turn on the tv. Read the bible, out loud, and then go work in the garden or something. Don't watch this garbage. The shiny screen, the polo shirt, the gesturing, it doesn't make the preacher into a real preacher. A real preacher opens up the bible and tries to understand what the bible itself is saying about God. A real preacher doesn't need power point. A real preacher doesn't need to read a study about what people most regret in their lives. A real preacher doesn't need to lower the voice soothingly when saying something satanic like this, to paraphrase Andy Stanley, “the number one regret people name is not letting themselves be who they really are.” Not only is the grammar terrible, that particular sentiment is from the pit of hell.

It's not about you. Church isn't about you. It's not about the work you can do. It's not about how to get more out of life. It's not about making you feel good. It's not about you. It's about God. And any preacher that says anything otherwise is lying to you and you should get out of there.