Sign #4 – Sheep Stealers
If you were to look at your congregation, how many people there used to be part of another church in your area and came to yours because they were dissatisfied with that other church? Looking especially at mega and giga churches, how high a percentage of those people ended up there because it was a better show than the one at their church? This is not a simple issue. Is it wrong to leave one community for another because you feel dissatisfied? Is it wrong to accept Christians who are dissatisfied into your community?
I don’t know of any churches that list as their growth plan stealing sheep from other congregations, but don’t we do this? Don’t we market ourselves to the Christians in the community? Don’t we get excited about it when they come? Don’t we look down our noses at those poor churches whose people keep leaving them to come to our church? We swell with pride when we think about it. We celebrate how much are church is growing, but is any of that from the Spirit?
Doesn’t it seem like more of the mentality of a consumer driven product company than the church? If people are leaving another church to come to ours, shouldn’t we be banding together to help that other church and trying to help rebuild it and strengthen it. We might not grow as much, but we might teach people about not treating the church like consumers.
Sign #5 – Not talking about sex
Some where along the lines (maybe rooted in the Puritan beginnings of much of American Christianity) we got really nervous about talking about sex in church. If we do it is usually a one sided conversation with someone telling us not to do it unless we are married and everyone else nodding their heads quickly to affirm they agree and they aren’t doing it. We really stink about talking about sex. Why? We stink for the same reasons many parents do, it is awkward and messy. If it is awkward it is better to just ignore it, at least that seems to be what we believe. It is certainly how we live. If our communities can not foster honest conversations about sex, when everywhere else our society is constantly talking about it, then we need to reexamine the rules that govern our communities.
May 14, 2008 at 4:27 pm
If you’ve read Viola & Barna’s “Pagan Christianity?” book, then you know that they would say our entire Sunday morning routine is a sign of civility encroaching on the Spirit. The vast majority of Christians who gather for worship sit silently for an hour, not participating in any meaningful way. They may sing songs, but they’re not of their choosing, and whether they sing or don’t sing makes very little difference to the service. They may (or may not) listen attentively to the Scriptures being read and expounded upon. They may (or may not) participate in the celebration of communion. They will sit quietly while someone else prays and may (or may not) join in themselves, silently. And in all of these areas, they have no say as to what does or doesn’t take place.
Just thought I’d toss that in, since you asked.
May 14, 2008 at 6:17 pm
Can we get an Amen for brother Rich?
May 14, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Rich gets an amen just for being the first comment I have had in like 10 days!
Beyond that however, I think that you are really on to something. The entire way we have trained people to think about worship and about their faith is so inactive and passive. It makes you understand a lot of Marxist criticism regarding the docility that religion brings upon people. If our faith makes us docile we aren’t doing it right.
May 14, 2008 at 8:10 pm
We should all have signs outside our churches that read, “Religious folks need not apply.”
May 14, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Shay, shay, shay.
Come, Holy Spirit, come!