The other day we hired a plumber, who, it turned out, was a brother in Christ. He asked, “Where do you go to church?” a not uncommon question among believers. And while
it may seem innocuous, I wonder if it is not also a subtle way of checking someone out: “Are you evangelical, charismatic, Pentecostal?”
But I think it may reveal something bigger—a not-so-subtle assumption that “going to church” makes you a Christian.
Author of the “Peter Principle,” Laurence Peter, writes, “Going to church
doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a
car.” We are all aware there are in every church those who “go to church” for Sunday morning worship, but are back home with their self-made idols by Sunday afternoon.
In a Geoege Barna survey, Millennials said they want a Christianity that addresses everyday problems, not one that is relegated to Sunday morning “going to church.” How refreshing! This generation’s desire for a real-world faith could bring about meaningful change to a Christian culture that heretofore has been more about “going to church” than “being the church.”
In a Geoege Barna survey, Millennials said they want a Christianity that addresses everyday problems, not one that is relegated to Sunday morning “going to church.” How refreshing! This generation’s desire for a real-world faith could bring about meaningful change to a Christian culture that heretofore has been more about “going to church” than “being the church.”
Just today I was thinking how pastors should put more emphasis not so much on telling their congregation to attend church regularly -as important as that is- but on living godly lives every day of the week. And even tell the people that if in their hearts they just don't want to submit to the Lord it's better they don't go to church because it's really like mocking God. I think people would take more seriously what it means to attend church.
ReplyDeleteMore and more going to church is like going to the movies, attending a conference about any subject or watching an interesting debate program on TV. The sacredness, the reverence and the holy awe is completely missing. We listen to a sermon but we don't purposedly listen to it with full attention and the heartfelt desire to obey it, to put it into practice. Many times it's just one more activity of the week.
God must be really grieved when He sees it.
Yes, Patricia. As you know I've written many times about the "entertainment" mentality of so many churches. I was thinking about how a church that draws people by 'excitement' must keep raising the level of excitement or face the loss of people who seek such, and will stop "going to church." of course so much of this need to impress an audience is fear-based. if people stop "going to church" the budget suffers a loss and ultimately, the pastors lose their jobs!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wake-up call for the bricks and mortar to be replaced by living stones.