Good morning Father, Son and Spirit,
I give you my day, in every way,
Whether at work or play,
All I will do or say,
Lead and direct I pray.
“whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 9Mark 10:43-46)
I work one day a week, Monday nights 2-10 at Lowes. Last night I was helping a couple purchase items and answering questions they had with a bathroom remodel. In our conversation, somehow the conversation turned to the couples faith. :) ! The couple said they moved to Madison 4 years ago. They had visited over a dozen churches and they still have not found one that they liked or fitted them. In there explanation of churches they attended they listed: The way they were welcomed/greeted, church’s amenities, worship band, pastor, programs offered,. follow up invitations to return...ect. There remarks were all about what the “church” had to offer them.
I graduated from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2012 and church planting was the focus of my Master of Divinity. I saw a blog from someone who went to my seminary in the seventies. He stated, I don’t recall the language of church growth and church planting figuring prominently, if at all, in the conversations we had, and we certainly weren’t talking about “the decline of the mainline church” or “the end of the Protestant Reformation.” My classmates were a conscientious group and, in truth, I suppose we worried more about doing a good and faithful job than about the longevity of our congregations.
That isn’t the case any longer. Most congregations, regardless of their size all seem to be and need to be asking themselves questions about the future. But one of the most important questions to ask is, “Do you want your church?”
The answer to that question will probably depend upon what you think “your church” is.
For far too many, like the couple I talked to at Lowes, the answer is often that it is a place that my needs, and the needs of our family are met. It’s not uncommon for people to say that they have chosen a church because it had a program for their children or that the church had an outstanding worship service, that the time of the services fit with their lives, or that they liked the preaching. To put it bluntly, some people treat the church as an end-user of a product and, to be fair, most in the church often “advertise” their church in conversations with friends and to perspective new members as if that’s exactly what it is and that is the reason they need to attend.
But a better way of defining “church,” apart from the all important definition of it as “the body of Christ,” is to ask ourselves, “Where can I be equipped and made available for the work of Christ in the world?” Not what it has to offer me on Sunday mornings, but enables me to serve Monday-Saturday. Because, in the final analysis, it’s not all about us, about meeting our needs, or about meeting the needs of our families; The church is a living extension of the incarnation and is meant to be a living, breathing embodiment of Christ’s love in the world that draws and embraces a broken world, sharing the Gospel and serving (The son of man did not come to be served, but to serve..)
As an end user of “church”, the answer to the question, “Do you want your church?” is always conditional and it can be answered by asking the question, “What is it doing for me now?” Or your answer may change in a conversation as a friend “advertises” what a new or another church has to offer you that sounds like it can better meet your needs. For the Christians who have sought out a community were the focus is being a sacrificing, serving, living, breathing embodiment of Christ’s love in the world, the answer is never conditional, but always “yes.”
My friends, I pray today in the Holy Spirit you will seek to answer the question, “Do you want your church?” That’s not a question I, your priest, pastor, minister, spouse or parents can answer for you. However, the future of your church depends upon it. The embodiment of Christ’s church into the world depends on it. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please share your thoughts and reflections with us in the comment box below.