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:
Right on again my brother. I just spent a week in Long Beach, Mississippi with the church there as they are reaching out to so many in dire need. I was so impressed with the way the church as a whole responded with outpouring of food, and money. In addition to church buildings, we will give for physical needs. I am thankful for that.
What really concerns me is that seldom do you hear of this kind of financial response to "eternal needs". A few congregations years ago would have a special contribution for missions and raised sometime as much as a million or more dollars, but I have not heard of that in a very long time.
The greatest disaster of our time is in not being able to see the spiritual needs that are all around us. People with no hope and without God, while those with the "spiritual relief" sit in comfortable buildings worshiping the God who said "Go", yet we sit and sing "Send The Light". God still is asking, "Whom shall I send?"
I have to agree about the waste of money spent on buildings. Our church in Memphis has made the committment to stay in the city and not flee to the East. In a few years we will be one of the only churches left inside the 240 loop. This is a great decision. However, the Elders also feel we need a new building with a gym, track, etc.. because if we want new members this is what they want from a church. How sad to be known as the church with a great gym. I long to be known as the church with the soup kitchen; the church who readily accepts the drug addict and alcoholic; the church who reaches out to feed the spiritual poverty of our community. We may eventually do some of these things, but Satan's lie is so strong - "If you build it they will come."
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