"Well, I Didn't Get Anything Out of That"
This sentence has been said to me hundreds of times in the past 15 years. It refers to a person's experience at a church. If we were to be honest, we've all probably said that at one time or another for any number of reasons.
The music was too loud. The songs were too long. The sermon was too short. The sermon was too long. They had a band. There were drums. There weren't any hymns. There were hymns. They collected money. They met in a school. They didn't have an organ. They had an organ. The pastor didn't wear a robe. The pastor wore a robe. There were women in leadership. People dressed up. People didn't dress up. The band wore jeans. The pastor wore jeans. They showed a movie clip. The teaching was from the Bible. They didn't talk enough about the Bible. Someone had a beard. They danced. They had communion. They didn't have pews. Children were in the service. Children weren't in the service. You could bring your Starbucks mocha in with you. They had a coffee bar. There was too much standing. They made us turn and greet people. No one said hello to us. Too many people said hello to us. They don't have anything for kids. They have too many kids.
On and on it goes, and no one can agree on the perfect church setting. Not every person will be happy no matter what church leaders do or don't do.
That's because not only are there no perfect people, there are no perfect churches.
None of the comments in my second paragraph (above) should make one bit of difference in how we in North America look at church today. Church was not created to satisfy our personal check list. We are not the judge of the church so why do we act like the church has something to prove to us in order for it to be worth our while?
I have seen many a church taken down because leadership was overly concerned about the opinions of a few stalwart attenders rather than stay on track with what God had shown them. Managing by poll doesn't work. Changing with the wind leaves the congregation afloat when they need the church to be their rudder. One church at the age of 10 read a few books and decided to change what they were all about. The 10 years of collecting followers was thrown away when they were told it's this way now. The people didn't want to follow the new, confusing plan and fell away. A church that was once 1,300 strong shrank to 300. Once the church defines who they are, they can grow on that path but I believe they need to stick to the path advertised.
So getting back to the big idea, what is church for if it isn't to please us and do something for us each week? Funny, some people really believe that they can take home supplies or even furniture from their church because they gave money. Some people want to use the rooms for a Tupperware party. Some people come and plant flowers without being asked.
Check out the early church than began forming with Jesus's disciples right after his death. You can read about this in the book of Acts. (Side note: read Luke and then Acts together, they were meant to be read like that.) Check out Chapter 2, verses 42-47. There it is in ink. The people gathered together to hear what Jesus had done. They met in a temple as a large group, they met in homes for deeper teaching. They shared everything they had - including meals - with joy and generosity. And bonus points: miracles were happening under the leadership of the disciples. How simple this was, and how IRS-like it's become. At least in North America.
No where do we read about people saying "what do I get"? It was all about what they could give and to who. The rules and regulations weren't long and improbable to manage. Nope. Jesus came to debunk all of that. It was all about loving God and loving others. Then centuries of people kept adding to it and messing it up and creating division instead of unity. And slowly the idea was born and is now fertilized that church is something on our list as an option and it very well better produce or forget about it.
A church service is a worship experience from start to finish. There is no part of the service that is less important, contrary to the people who arrive late or talk through the carefully selected worship music segment. It is woven together and supposed to be focused on our love and respect for God, our creator. It's about what we give (our attention, our souls) and what we do with what we hear. Different venues will speak to us which is why I love churches in cafes our outside in addition to the traditional location. Go where your soul sings, but please don't hop around demanding that church prove anything to you. The church is Christ's gift to us. Let's appreciate it lovingly and treat it tenderly.
The music was too loud. The songs were too long. The sermon was too short. The sermon was too long. They had a band. There were drums. There weren't any hymns. There were hymns. They collected money. They met in a school. They didn't have an organ. They had an organ. The pastor didn't wear a robe. The pastor wore a robe. There were women in leadership. People dressed up. People didn't dress up. The band wore jeans. The pastor wore jeans. They showed a movie clip. The teaching was from the Bible. They didn't talk enough about the Bible. Someone had a beard. They danced. They had communion. They didn't have pews. Children were in the service. Children weren't in the service. You could bring your Starbucks mocha in with you. They had a coffee bar. There was too much standing. They made us turn and greet people. No one said hello to us. Too many people said hello to us. They don't have anything for kids. They have too many kids.
On and on it goes, and no one can agree on the perfect church setting. Not every person will be happy no matter what church leaders do or don't do.
That's because not only are there no perfect people, there are no perfect churches.
None of the comments in my second paragraph (above) should make one bit of difference in how we in North America look at church today. Church was not created to satisfy our personal check list. We are not the judge of the church so why do we act like the church has something to prove to us in order for it to be worth our while?
I have seen many a church taken down because leadership was overly concerned about the opinions of a few stalwart attenders rather than stay on track with what God had shown them. Managing by poll doesn't work. Changing with the wind leaves the congregation afloat when they need the church to be their rudder. One church at the age of 10 read a few books and decided to change what they were all about. The 10 years of collecting followers was thrown away when they were told it's this way now. The people didn't want to follow the new, confusing plan and fell away. A church that was once 1,300 strong shrank to 300. Once the church defines who they are, they can grow on that path but I believe they need to stick to the path advertised.
So getting back to the big idea, what is church for if it isn't to please us and do something for us each week? Funny, some people really believe that they can take home supplies or even furniture from their church because they gave money. Some people want to use the rooms for a Tupperware party. Some people come and plant flowers without being asked.
Check out the early church than began forming with Jesus's disciples right after his death. You can read about this in the book of Acts. (Side note: read Luke and then Acts together, they were meant to be read like that.) Check out Chapter 2, verses 42-47. There it is in ink. The people gathered together to hear what Jesus had done. They met in a temple as a large group, they met in homes for deeper teaching. They shared everything they had - including meals - with joy and generosity. And bonus points: miracles were happening under the leadership of the disciples. How simple this was, and how IRS-like it's become. At least in North America.
No where do we read about people saying "what do I get"? It was all about what they could give and to who. The rules and regulations weren't long and improbable to manage. Nope. Jesus came to debunk all of that. It was all about loving God and loving others. Then centuries of people kept adding to it and messing it up and creating division instead of unity. And slowly the idea was born and is now fertilized that church is something on our list as an option and it very well better produce or forget about it.
A church service is a worship experience from start to finish. There is no part of the service that is less important, contrary to the people who arrive late or talk through the carefully selected worship music segment. It is woven together and supposed to be focused on our love and respect for God, our creator. It's about what we give (our attention, our souls) and what we do with what we hear. Different venues will speak to us which is why I love churches in cafes our outside in addition to the traditional location. Go where your soul sings, but please don't hop around demanding that church prove anything to you. The church is Christ's gift to us. Let's appreciate it lovingly and treat it tenderly.
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