Ok, so I'll probably get a lot of flak about this post. I apologize in advance if it ruffles some feathers. It isn't my desire to upset people. It is my desire to make people question and think. I will admit right up front that I can be harsh and judgmental at times, and that will probably come out as I write. But I find that it is true - we Christians are a lot like sheep. We follow blindly and never think for ourselves. So this blog is dedicated to making you think.
Awhile back I read in a church bulletin a series of announcements to the following effect:
"We are currently taking donations for the county wide relief fund. Our benevolence dollars are running low, and the number of needy families isn't, so please consider a gift to help those less fortunate. We understand that times are tight for everyone, so know that your gift would be deeply appreciated."
"The Smith family has been on the mission field in Brazil for 9 years now, living with the impoverished people there. The heart of their ministry has been to live like the people they minister to while still making a difference in the culture. The Smiths are requesting moneys for the building of a water treatment facility in their village. Fresh water would save an estimated 2000 lives in just one year. Please consider giving to this need."
"Good news! Our new building fund has reached the 3/4 mark, with approximately 4.2 million dollars given for the construction of the new building. Plans include a gymnasium, coffee cafe, multi-screen, multi-media venue with Dolby stereo and surround sound, and new offices for the 6 staff members we have. New personalized parking will be available and designated for church leaders."
Does anybody see what I see? We can glory in projects that benefit us, but getting money to help real people in real need is like pulling teeth. So I would like to challenge the system for a moment and make a heretical statement:
"Real ministry and entertaining Christians are two very different things".
Let me be more blunt. Bell choirs and padded pews and Dolby sound and videotaped conferences and church picnics and church bowling leagues (and softball leagues and volleyball leagues and golf leagues) have little to do with real needs being met and much to do with entertaining Christians. The Sunday morning circus of dramas and special music and pretty worship time and entertaining, captivating sermons condensed to 20 minutes are all about entertaining Christians. Little ministry happens to anyone except ourselves. The more entertaining a church is, the more people they will attract. The more people they attract, the more money is given to increase the entertainment level of the machine. Did you know that it is a standard in churches that only 10% of what is given on Sunday mornings goes to provide water to dieing Indigenous people or food to needy families? The other 90% goes to give us a pleasant experience on Sunday mornings, so we can play softball, so we can have a place to have prayer breakfasts and board meetings.
I don't know if I have a problem with the Sunday morning machine as much as I have a problem calling it ministry. Worse yet, we call it worship. Worship in Greek means the same as 'service', yet we are doing little to service anyone except ourselves. I would be much happier if we called it what it was - helping needy people we could call 'ministry'. Helping ourselves have a better time we could call 'entertainment'. Just don't call helping ourselves have a more pleasurable time 'meeting needs'. Isn't it more important that people avoid death and maybe hear about Jesus, than it is for the worship team to be perfectly synchronized or the choir be all dressed in the same outfits? Is that what Jesus gave His life for?
Ok, I'm done ranting. Let me know what you think. Tell me I am out to lunch (actually, I probably am most of the time.) Or tell me to get a real job, or agree with what I have said. Tell me where to go, or tell me you'd like to get going into making a difference. It doesn't really matter to me. What does matter is that each of us take some responsibility for the lifestyle we choose as Christians, and not follow the hind end of the sheep in front of us.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
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2 comments:
I think the main reason we have to pump so much into making Church into entertainment is obvious, that we are bored with religion by itself and don't really believe that God is really all that exciting all by Himself. There is so little life inside the church because there are few real relationships, therefore God doesn't really show up. If we pump enough money into the production then we don't really need God for a good time. It's a good thing that God is eternal, otherwise He would be so bored to death with our church services that He'd probably need therapy, and maybe would even become suicidal from having to show up at some churches.
Wow, love this post. It echoes the cry of my heart. What are we doing, all in the name of God (i.e. ministry)?? I don't believe God is at all impressed with our Sunday morning shows, and it saddens me that so many have settled for something that, in my opinion, is such a poor representation of Jesus. May God use our utter futility to draw us into a holy dissatisfaction with our status quo masquerades! For that is the best use I can think of for such "entertainment." It is perhaps the very thing He used to open my eyes to the deception of religion.
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