Struggling to Know
As the title suggests, I'm struggling to grasp a greater understanding of God and His righteousness. How does what He has revealed to us play out in the "real" world - I know this is not the real world, but it is the world I know best; It is the world I live in, but am trying NOT to be a part of. Following are just a few opinions and I want to stress the word OPINIONS.
1. I believe one of the greatest hindrances to the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been the invention of church buildings. The days of house churches where neighbors gathered together for a few moments of fellowship and getting to know one another as they got to know God and praise His name were times of explosive evangelism. In the homes people really got to know the person they were worshipping with. It was less structured and, it seems to me, while there was more true heartfelt friendship shared there were fewer spurious or artificial emotional touchy/feely moments. An example of what I mean is the practice of several congregations to take a few minutes at some point in the service for everyone to stand up and shake the hands of the people around them. This is done because Christians are supposed to be close and fellowship each other. Then, after the last song or prayer, the majority of people walk on out to their cars and drive away without saying hello or good-bye to anyone, including those who sat around them.
2. We equate what we do in the church buildings on Sunday mornings, most especially, with Christianity. They do not equate. Because of this practice we find ourselves struggling to make people feel they are a part of the church. We (not every congregation, you understand, but many) are having women get up and read or pass the communion, or sing solos and lead prayers. I am not making a judgement on these one way or the other. What I am saying is that real Christianity does not have to find ways to include anyone so they feel as if they were important to the church. We would not have to face the difficulties we are facing with issues about women's roles, worship leaders, etc. if we did not depend upon Sunday morning to define us. There are 168 hours in each week, yet many now determine that if they are not a part of that one Sunday morning hour then they are not truly represented in the church. So, right or wrong, women are insisting upon leadership (whatever that is) roles in the assemblies.
3. We spend BIG money on buildings and consider that our part for outreach. We have the (I've said this before) field of dreams mentality. If we build it they will come. The truth is, we were never given a command to sit back and expect the lost to find us, we were told to go out into the highways and byways and find them.
4. We are willing to spend the Big money on buildings but spend relatively little on real evangelism.
5. Money spent on buildings is for our comfort, which may be why we are so ready to spend it. We pad the pews, condition the air, carpet the floors, furnish the kitchens and recreation facilities, fill the basketballs with air, adjust the speakers for best tonal quality and make sure the video projector is in perfect focus. And who are we doing all this for? The Lost?! Outreach? Evangelism?!
I'm just throwing out my opinion here, but I was hoping that those who see this blog might think about what we are doing with our Sunday mornings . . .
1. I believe one of the greatest hindrances to the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been the invention of church buildings. The days of house churches where neighbors gathered together for a few moments of fellowship and getting to know one another as they got to know God and praise His name were times of explosive evangelism. In the homes people really got to know the person they were worshipping with. It was less structured and, it seems to me, while there was more true heartfelt friendship shared there were fewer spurious or artificial emotional touchy/feely moments. An example of what I mean is the practice of several congregations to take a few minutes at some point in the service for everyone to stand up and shake the hands of the people around them. This is done because Christians are supposed to be close and fellowship each other. Then, after the last song or prayer, the majority of people walk on out to their cars and drive away without saying hello or good-bye to anyone, including those who sat around them.
2. We equate what we do in the church buildings on Sunday mornings, most especially, with Christianity. They do not equate. Because of this practice we find ourselves struggling to make people feel they are a part of the church. We (not every congregation, you understand, but many) are having women get up and read or pass the communion, or sing solos and lead prayers. I am not making a judgement on these one way or the other. What I am saying is that real Christianity does not have to find ways to include anyone so they feel as if they were important to the church. We would not have to face the difficulties we are facing with issues about women's roles, worship leaders, etc. if we did not depend upon Sunday morning to define us. There are 168 hours in each week, yet many now determine that if they are not a part of that one Sunday morning hour then they are not truly represented in the church. So, right or wrong, women are insisting upon leadership (whatever that is) roles in the assemblies.
3. We spend BIG money on buildings and consider that our part for outreach. We have the (I've said this before) field of dreams mentality. If we build it they will come. The truth is, we were never given a command to sit back and expect the lost to find us, we were told to go out into the highways and byways and find them.
4. We are willing to spend the Big money on buildings but spend relatively little on real evangelism.
5. Money spent on buildings is for our comfort, which may be why we are so ready to spend it. We pad the pews, condition the air, carpet the floors, furnish the kitchens and recreation facilities, fill the basketballs with air, adjust the speakers for best tonal quality and make sure the video projector is in perfect focus. And who are we doing all this for? The Lost?! Outreach? Evangelism?!
I'm just throwing out my opinion here, but I was hoping that those who see this blog might think about what we are doing with our Sunday mornings . . .
posted by Josiah Tilton at 9:08 AM
2 comments
