Wall Street Journal - Churches Find End Is Nigh - The Number of Religious Facilities Unable to Pay Their Mortgage Is Surging
The link above is another discovery thanks to Google news. Totally random article but the title is what hooked me into clicking it, “Churches Find End is Nigh: The number of religious facilities unable to pay their mortgage is surging”. It is a very interesting article. I think it can be used for a lot of good. Good can come from bad; lessons learned come from understanding the pitfalls and mistakes of the past. I hope we can learn from others who have gone before us and those around us. I hope we aren’t doomed to repeat the failure of the past.
When things are bustling, growth seems to be occurring, people are excited - it is important to take a step back and evaluate what these feeling really are. I wonder how often plain camaraderie is mistaken for true spiritual fellowship. "Making do" is what the new American way of life now and that is actually a good thing. Maybe churches should "make do" with movie theaters and rented spaces, with more emphasis on small groups that meet in homes. I wonder how often faith in God is replaced with faith in feeling good. I wonder how often the "do something now" movement is done more out the need to prove faith rather than from faith already existing and strong, so on fire it spreads without conscious effort. Our faith should be the reason behind our actions; our actions shouldn't be used to reason our faith.
The big building projects, who is all that REALLY for? Should a ministry make its living on the backs of the blue and white collar workers who attend? If a ministry doesn't know you by more than your checking account number is that right? Should we pay for the message we hear locally to stay here locally or pay to have the gospel spread out from here to everywhere? What is our calling? What is our mission? Conviction is good if guided by God; why such fear in speaking truth? If I fear hurting someones "feelings" more than I fear for their current and eternal welfare don't I do them a terrible injustice? I do want people to be happy but not at the expense of being deceived. That is how I would want other brothers and sisters in Christ to treat me; isn't that the policy?
To those who build big and new, contemporary and comfortable: your constituents are impressed but is God? Do you think he cares about contemporary and modern furnishings? Do you think he reads Architectural Digest and says, “Wow, these humans really know there stuff”? Does God shop at Ikea? Do you think he wants a store next to the sanctuary? Maybe “spirituality” can be bought but relationship with God never could or can - the cost is truly unfathomable; it cost his Only Son his only life to bring us into right standing. I have a freaking library of Christian books at my disposal at home (it really is ridiculous, I am book hoarder) and I honestly haven’t read even one fourth of them. Reputable, good books by competent theologians do not make me closer to God. It may make me more knowledgeable, more word savvy, more intellectually impressive but since when does terminology equate intimacy. I can speak the right words and terms and never understand them from my heart - what a waste. A married person can read about what it takes to make a healthy marriage all day long but eventually he has to put the book down and live it.
He who made all things isn’t fixated with things, another one of the amazing contradicting tensions that is God. When do the gospels record Jesus saying, “you tiny human build me a mini mall” or “you tiny human build me a 30000 square foot edifice”? All the “building” that is to be done is done is by Jesus/The Holy Spirit/God and what is being built is a Church of people not bricks. (Matthew 16:18) The place where we worship is truly not as important as the worship itself. Where you are physically is crap to where you are internally/relationally to God. From communist China to a main street America - where is not the issue. (John 4:20-24) Am I being too harsh, too abrasive; I respectfully don’t apologize. I say all this not only to others but for myself as well. It is a cry from the depths of my soul, a plea for the authenticity and truth. Let us not fool ourselves.
I ask again, who is all this really for? The flashing lights, the rumble of the amplifier, the big screen TVs: who is it for? American self indulgence is prevalent but should it be encouraged? The half a dozen ministries each serving a specific label: women, men, tween, teen, recovering addict, on and on. Are we labeled too much? Not enough? Does the label “women” cover all women: single, married, and divorced? Does the label “men”? The sports commentary from the stage, the prime time TV show references, the jovial joking to put you at ease: who is it for? Here is a critical question for modern church teachers, “I get the feeling you don’t judge me but do you love me? Really love me like Jesus? I get that you care about my money, my but in the seat, my time donated but do you love me, me the person with a history, present and a future? Me the mortal that will face The Immortal - do you care about that facet of myself? When I look at you, teacher of Gods word, I care about you. Do you think I am asking for too much of you? Does it keep you up at night that you live in a city filled with the physically living, eternally perishing?”
For more regarding this topic I encourage reading "Pagan Christianity" by Frank Viola. I don't agree with every word he's written but much of it is illuminating. We have to step back, evaluate what church means and than step up and live it. We need to do this together. We need to do this now. All I say and write I do because I care, deeply care. If I didn’t I would be indifferent and silent.
“Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT)
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