Let me start off by saying that I love the local church, and I deeply believe in the power of a community coming together in the name of Christ. I do not mean to offend thriving churches or the people that go to them by what I pose in this article (considering I, myself, go to a Megachurch). I also am not assuming that every thriving church has these problems. Also, I target bigger churches in this post because that is where I normally see these issues, but some small churches have these problems as well. I just want to bring some questions and concerns I have to the table for us to consider and check our hearts about. I have brought this issue up to many people, and I know the responses you may have towards me concerning my thoughts and concerns. I am not writing this to argue, but to share my heart and opinions about how the church is viewed today from a fellow Christian perspective (A.K.A me) and even from people who aren't weekly church goers that I have spoken with. Please keep your heart open, and your mind fixed on Jesus alone as you unpack the message bellow.
I grew up as a pastor's kid. I have experienced churches with different backgrounds and different sized congregations. I have worked at some of them, and I have attended some of them. I do not know how every church operates, considering there are thousands of churches I have not attended, but I can tell you about the experience I have had with many of them.
Like I said before, I love the Church and all the people that attend; I am just scared we are losing sight of what is most important in our churches today. Are we more concerned with our weekly numbers or about truly seeing people set free and delivered? There is a fine line here. I know so many churches mean well in their billboards, million dollar stage sets, and amazing sound. But, I can't help to look at those silly things we spend so much money on as a church, and think about all the other ways we could have used that money to help the hurting and needy around us. We could have fed the poor in our area. We could have sent people on mission trips. We could have done so many more valuable things. Yes, we realize that you may already do a lot of outreach as a church...but how much MORE could we do if we didn't care so much about how our stage looks. I know most churches don't mean to make those things more important, but from an outside perspective, that's what it tends to look like. Even from an insider perspective, the extra glam seems extreme and over the top.
The best way I know how to describe how I feel at church these days is, distracted. I tend to get so caught up in the entertainment and performance of my comfortable Sunday morning that I forget what I learned during the message. Now, this doesn't always happen, but I do have to push myself to stay focused and remind myself why I came pretty often. I truly don't think this is what the Church wants to happen to its congregation, but I am afraid that it's becoming a reality in more and more churches. The focus has become to obtain more lights, better sound, better performance, trendier topics, better logos, and overall better ENTERTAINMENT. I am sorry, but I never came to be entertained, I came to be changed. And those external things will never change me; they will just keep me coming back temporarily until I decide I want to go to a church with even better sound and more "relevance". No. I am sorry. This generation isn't looking for relevance, we are looking for the real Jesus with no edits. Why? Because the real Jesus is the only one that can change us and keep us coming back for more every Sunday.
The lights, the sound, and the action may tend to draw people in for a while, but since when was the cross of Jesus Christ not enough to draw men unto God? Jesus says "Take up your cross and follow me?" Not, come see how trendy I am and choose me because everyone else is. I think there is a reason Jesus didn't try to draw people in with His looks, His slick words and His comfortable phrases. I believe it is because he wanted disciples and people who would step into a covenant relationship with Him, knowing that they would have to sacrifice a lot to have Him in full. Once you know the real Jesus and you experience His love, this is not too hard to do, but all of the distractions take away from the simplicity of the cross. No, Christianity isn't easy, but it is simple. I don't know why we have to complicate it with our man-made satisfaction supplements. At the end of the day, JESUS IS ENOUGH and He doesn't need our dress ups or our add-ons. Strip the lights, the sound, the entertainment, and give me Jesus. Maybe I am the only one who feels this way. Maybe that has to do with the fact that the times I have experienced Jesus the most is without all the glam. Church is not a show, or at least it is not our show, so why do we feel the need to dress it up. Jesus doesn't need our help. The cross is enough to bring men unto salvation all on its own.
Why then do we feel the urge to be so relevant when relevance is not what we actually NEED, or even want. We don't know what we truly need until it is offered to us and we accept it. So, to say your Sunday relevance show will draw more people in may be true, but what happens when the butterflies of a newer, "relevant" church fly away? Don't we wish to create disciples? Just think about it, what more could be done with the resources you have as a church? How can we make more disciples and bring more hurting people the love of Christ. I don't believe it's through our stage sets and awesome entertainment sessions. The cross of Jesus Christ can stand on its own. Take away the lights. Take away the noise. Take away the show. Just give me Jesus.
