Today I heard a radio spot on a local Christian station advertising a para-church organization in our city. The stated goal of this organization was to “get the church back to what it used to be in this country.” Those are their words.
The ad troubled me. I couldn’t help but wonder what “getting the church back to what it used to be in this country” meant.
Here are some of the descriptions that came to my mind:
- I thought of hard wooden church pews and funeral home fans.
- I thought of piano music and well-worn hymnals.
- I thought of a cultural Christianity where the label Christian was synonymous with “good moral person,” not sold out follower of Christ.
- I thought of churches more committed to tradition, facilities, history, and denominational loyalty than the call of Christ for today.
- I thought of a group of believers complacent from living in a culture where Christian = good moral person.
- I thought of an organization more committed to the democratic process than the leadership of Christ.
- I thought of Laodicea.
Perhaps you think I’m a bit harsh. I will acknowledge that for all of her faults and blemishes, this church of the past has served me well. I have been taught by faithful children’s pastors, Sunday School teachers, youth leaders, and senior pastors. I am the beneficiary of a lifetime of church attendance, of teaching, and of serving. The church of the past was not ALL bad. The danger, however, is in thinking that she was ALL good.
As a committed follower of Christ be certain that you don’t long too deeply for the past. You run the risk of making an idealized view of what-used-to-be your idol.
Remember, the state of our world today is the natural outworking of the decisions we made in the past. Let’s not wish for a repeat of that.
No related posts.
2 Comments
while I agree with most of what you’re saying, I’d like to make a slight counter-argument. I think there is one case in particular where the church does need to go back to what it used to be, and that’s the modern MegaChurch.
At least 5 days a week, I drive past John Hagee’s Cornerstone Church, and see a massive building, devoted to the glory of John Hagee. 19,000 attend services there, and the pastor makes well over $1,500,000 a year.
First off, I don’t see how one (or two, if you count his son) people can be an effective minister to a flock of 19,000. Second, even here in the big city, it seems to me that a pastor could live quite comfortably off about 10% of what Hagee’s making, and use the other money to, oh, feed and clothe the poor or something.
I’ve never met Hagee personally, but I find it hard to believe that he’s sold out for Christ. In fact, I feel comfortable saying that I think he’s sold a diluted version of Christ out, in return for the wealth of John Hagee.
Video screens, light shows, jazz bands, private jets, and television networks are far from the wooden pews, funeral fans, piano music, and worn hymnals you described. Laodicea is still a very apt comparison, though.
John,
I understand what you’re saying here.
New <> better!
And, bigger does not equal better.
I want to be careful blasting all mega-churches. Some of them do an amazing job. If you look at Saddleback, Rick Warren’s church in California, you’ll see a model that seems to work. They have a huge church, but the engine of their church is small groups. I’ll also point out that Rick Warren is a reverse tither; he gives away 90% of is income from his books and he no longer takes a salary from his church because of the success of books like “Purpose Driven Life”.
I’ve never been in Hagee’s church or in Warren’s, so I can’t speak from personal experience.
I think there’s a mood in the grass-roots American church that if things were the way they used to be, it would all be better. My point is that it wouldn’t.
I didn’t intend to make a statement that the current mega-church model has it ALL right either.
As a pastor’s wife, I’m also very aware that clergy are not perfect. They have blind spots, personal motivations, and sinful natures just like the rest of the world. They are, however, held to a higher standard both Biblically and practically. Society has lost faith with clergy, and in many ways for good reason. But, forgive me for not being quick to jump on the clergy bashing bandwagon.