Getting out from under that pile of Christian garbage

                                                            
Lately I feel like my view of my relationship with God just feels weighed down by a pile of Christian Garbage.
Before I go on, I'd like to do what I thoroughly enjoy and that is, define my terms. By "Christian Garbage" I mean most anything affiliated with the Christian faith with the exception of the bible, probably most hymns, and some classical theological works. The term "Christian Garbage" includes most sermons that include suggestions on how to live your life or what to do in your Christian walk, Christian radio, "Christian" music, most modern "Christian" books, and most evangelical philosophy as it's spoken and the way it is spoken by most evangelical Christians. It, of course, includes all the things Christians spout on Facebook and the media that aren't really in line with Christianity or Jesus' teaching. Basically, it's most things. And I'm sick of the majority of it.

I use the term "garbage" not because any of these things (except the "christian" things said in the media that aren't really in line with Christianity- those are actually garbage)  are bad or even not good or should be thrown away. In fact, most of these things are very good and I'm sure are in line with the Spirit of Jesus and how He has led the people who have created, performed, written, or preached the given material. I use the strong word, "garbage" because A)It feels like a pile of junk I can't get out from under that's hindering me and B) I think some people out there, including people who wouldn't call themselves Christians, might identify with feeling like there's piles of "Christian Garbage" lying around that might get in the way of them and God.
Basically, I'm admitting that my use of the phrase "Christian Garbage"is incorrect and that it's also not rational to arbitrarily categorize a large variety of things simply on the basis that they all annoy me.

Nonetheless, the other day I was driving, thinking about all the Christian garbage that's been annoying me and (it feels like) inundating me for a year, feeling like I should acknowledge it as being ok and feel good about it but not being able to wade through it to find God.
And then there He was- Familiar as ever. In the secular music playing on my stereo, in the trees branching over the road. In my heart. Just like he was outside the window of the nursery at church (and then inside the nursery, and then beside me) when I was teenager who was never in actual church service and never really hearing anything about God or any solid theology to understand who He was. Just like he would stream in through the open chapel doors of my college, blowing in off the Lake as I sat there with my head raised to the ceiling  during prayer time at a time when I wasn't sure what I believed and I wasn't going to bow my head. The closeness I felt of God regardless of the Christian messages I had access to. And here it was again, here and present within me. And that was a great comfort.

I guess what I'm saying is that, despite all the "Christian Garbage" you may see or feel around you, even if you're not attending church, there is a God that is real and present with you and that is more than any "religious activity." Of course, if you ask Him to come to dwell in your heart you will likely feel yourself called to express your love and seek closeness through involvement in His Body, the Church (and this is good and right as the Church is an essential part of God's will). But what I'm taking from this is no matter how you may feel about the Church at any given time, God is still with you, still loves you, and is still King of all things. And He will lead your heart in the direction it should go in regards to how to respond to the church. In my case, I'm assuming He'll lead my heart in how to respond to all the Christian things that are not actually garbage but that feel like garbage. However, before I could do that, I had to realize that He was still Him, that He was still in control of and over all things, even when all of the other stuff affiliated with him seemed to be in the way of me reaching Him. When I realize that He is present with me, I can trust and believe that He will guide me through whatever.