I've been involved in Evangelical Christian churches, educational institutions, and organizations since I was in high school. That's over 30 years. There seems to have been one overarching theme of all these "voices" influencing my spiritual development: The most important thing is your personal salvation.

I've been involved in week after week of Bible studies, worship services, Christian concerts and teaching events with an extremely PERSONAL focus. Main questions addressed are personal matters such as:

• "What do I believe?"

• "What is Jesus (or the Spirit, or the Bible) saying to me right now?"

• "How can I overcome these sin patterns and habits in my life?"

• "How can I recapture a spiritual 'high' that will keep me going for another week?"

There is usually a nod to the bigger issues facing our world, our nation, and our community. But the unspoken premise is once I hear clearly from God (through going to church, reading the Bible, being in small groups, etc.) God will empower and guide me to do something about those bigger issues. There is rarely any attention given to larger world, national, community issues by the leaders of these churches and organizations. Nearly all focus is directed upon personal spiritual issues, with the hope that it will eventually create change in actual outward action.

I'm realizing that so much of what I did as a pastor for many years, what I'm involved in now, and so much of what most churches in my town spend money on is meeting the need for mental and spiritual experiences for the people of the church. And it's hitting me that we are missing the mark.

There are huge issues out there.

• Racism.

• Sexism.

• Economic inequality (in our town, in our nation, in our world).

• Gun violence.

• Overwhelming national debt (and consumer debt).

• Overpopulation.

• Religious extremism leading to violence.

But evangelical Christianity and the "it's all about me" focus never gets around to addressing these issues.

I’ve been reflecting on what Jesus had to say about this. In Matthew 25:31-46 we read a parable Jesus told about judgment day . He said it would be like a shepherd separating his flocks - sheep into one fold, and goats into another. Just as it is easy for a shepherd to distinguish between the sheep and the goats, God will be able to distinguish between people who make it to paradise and those who do not. But when God makes the judgment, both groups are surprised by the results. One group thought they were in and found out they were not. The other group was surprised to find out they were in.

What is the distinguishing factor in this parable? Before saying what it is, let me say some of the things it is NOT.

It is NOT

• Did they pray the sinner's prayer and really mean it?

• Did they accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior?

• Did they faithfully attend church meetings and develop friendships with other Christian people?

• Did they have the right set of beliefs about God, the Bible, Jesus, the end times, etc?

It is THIS

• Did they actually DO things to help the down and out, the downcast, the outcast, the forgotten ones of society?

Indeed the very notion of "accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior" is not found anywhere in scripture. But very often God's concern for the poor, for justice, for non-violence is found. In fact much of the work of Old Testament prophets was to correct the political leaders of Israel and Judah when they forgot that God had called them to lead with mercy and justice, not through violence and oppression.

In the parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25, those who are rejected are surprised and they ask the Master, “When did we fail to love you and meet your needs?” They probably think, "I've been going to synagogue, listening to Bible teaching, giving money, making temple sacrifices. I have proper beliefs about God. How did I end up on the outside?" And the Master simply says, "You failed when you failed to meet the needs of those real people who needed help."

Another important scripture that answers the question “What is the point of all this religious activity?” is Micah 6:8. This verse bluntly says “He has shown you, O human, what is good and what is required of you: To do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."

The question I'm starting to ask myself is, "What would a gathering of Christ-followers look like that was centered around the ideas of Micah 6:8 and the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats?”

Working for justice for all, focusing on acts of mercy toward those who are in need, and cultivating a strong sense of humility: these are keys to being the people of God, perhaps more than our experiences of personal worship and teaching. In such a gathering of Christ-followers, what would be sung about? What parts of the Bible would be emphasized? When and where would Christ-followers actually get together? What would the discipleship of children and youth look like in such a gathering? Who would such a group partner with that currently it is too afraid to even talk with?

One thing is for sure. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day would have been shocked and offended by Jesus’ teaching about what God was really looking for in their lives. It’s probably no different today.