Doing Church

I love God. I love that God loves me, in spite of my warts - and I love that He loves loves the whole world, in spite of its collective evil... that is, thanks to His special creation (humanity).

And I love the Church - that is - the gathering of saints, singing spiritual songs and hymns, prayer, Communion, confession, encouragement, laughter, tears, serving others, excitement, brokenness, conversation, breaking of bread, laying on of hands, accountability, sacrifice, healing, forgiveness, redemption, grace. In a phrase... Joyful struggle. I told a listening friend recently that starting a new church is hard... it's a huge, very lonely, sometimes depressing struggle... but somehow, some way there is an inexpressible joy contained within the struggle. I know God has called us here to plant His church... but sometimes I really begin to doubt. Then someone or something comes along and the doubts begin to melt, at least for awhile.

Anyway, I had a nice conversation over lunch today... I was talking with my friend Bill about church. Nothing earth shattering, just trying to articulate what church is and perhaps what it should be. Just why do I want to start a new church in Ellensburg, anyway? I mean, there's already a ton of Christian churches in town... more than enough to handle its relatively small population. Well, not enough for the whole population I suppose, but more than enough to provide a place of community for Christians. So, do I think they're all doing it wrong, and I need to start a new church that does it "right"? No, I really don't think that's my motivation... although in my heart of hearts I do admit I believe there is some truth to that. 

I guess my real angst is that (in my experience) churches are designed to go after and do their best to retain existing Christians (by serving their needs) - rather than doing what Jesus told us to do... look for creative, out-of-the-box new ways to seek and save the lost. Yes, I know... laypeople are trained (for better or worse) to evangelize their friends, family, neighbors, etc. to get them all to come to church (where they can presumably experience God). But - this is where it gets messy for me - here is my question: should we try to get unbelievers into our churches to save them... or should we be going to them to preach the gospel (and sometimes use words)?

Perhaps it's not a yes or no, but a yes/and kind of answer. Perhaps it is good to gather as a community of God's people to worship and seek to experience the powerful presence of God together. But in all honesty... is that enough? Is it even the most necessary thing? Doesn't it seem like "church" has become this thing that we do... rather than something we are? Doesn't it seem like typical Sunday morning worship services inspire us to listen (and take notes) and receive (and learn)... rather than converse together (and become vulnerable) and give sacrificially (and grow)? Doesn't Sunday morning church attendance seem like it encourages individualistic mask-wearing rather than participation in the gospel story? Is Sunday morning church all there is to the Christian life...? That is, one hour of sitting and listening to people sing and talk about God? What about the other 167 hours of a person's week? Isn't Christian discipleship supposed to be a 24/7 thing? Isn't following God supposed to be the aim and passion of our whole lives?

Let me ask you... because frankly, I'm curious... If you consider yourself a mature follower of Christ, and yet the sum total of your time each week is spent worshipping God in a Sunday morning (or evening) "service"... how are you able to grow in your walk with Jesus? Are you accountable to anyone about your temptation to rebel against God? Does anyone know your story... your fears... your victories... your failures... your dreams... In other words, does anyone in the Christian community really know the real you? Who encourages you? Who prays for you (no, I mean really intercede on your behalf and stands between you and God)? Who depends on you to join their spiritual battle and seek God's will for their lives?

Maybe I'm missing something, but those things have never happened to me in a "come and see" atmosphere. Oh, don't get me wrong, I have been convicted of my sin, and I have poured out my heart to God during an altar call... but other than the token pray-er who bravely decided to join me and pray for me while I blubbered about my spiritual concerns... no one has ever come alongside me in the midst of my battles with Satan as a direct result of a Sunday morning worship service. 

Informal small groups, however, have utterly shaped and formed my Christian experience. Breaking bread with empathetic and trustworthy Christ followers has led to profoundly deep conversations about God's grace... and deep change within my soul. Missional activities, like visiting someone without hope in a hospital, or serving dinner to a bunch of homeless men, have provided me a closeness to God I never thought imaginable. Each of these activities shares common threads I believe are vitally important to discipleship: two-way interaction, and human presence.

Does all my ranting above mean I'm against Sunday morning worship? No... not at all. I guess I'm just trying to say I don't think simple church attendance has the same power to transform hearts that it used to have. I know, I know... small groups are all the rage in churches these days - and good as the idea might be... small groups have the same propensity to grow inward and become cliquish as Sunday morning worship services. Besides... most small group "ministries" seem to be designed to serve the purposes of the church more than its members.

 

So what would the ideal church look like? What would the ideal church encourage from its members? What would it require and/or enforce? When and how would it gather as a community? How could it get whacked-out busy people to slow down and give more time to God... to make time to establish authentic, self-giving vertical (toward God) worship and horizontal (toward others) relationships? What would its goals and values be as a community of Christ? How could it balance the need for Christian fellowship with the commandment to serve others?

Oh God... How are we to live (and gather and serve and worship) in this confusing, caffeine-enriched, crazy culture we live in? Where are you at work in our world... and how may we join you? How may we serve you... and best represent your holy presence in this place? How are we to be and do Church?