Being Father's Day I spent time with family today. I traveled to Bossier to see my son, daughter in law and soon to be grand daughter (a few weeks still away). I attended a church today that holds it's services in a movie theater on the Boardwalk. A great idea in itself being that everyone goes to the movies. It's like "neutral ground" for the ongoing war of Good Vs Evil. Years ago, I started seeing a trend of people just walking away and leaving the church. Mostly the ones who get out of High School then go off to college and party their life away for the next 5-10 years before reality sets in and they land back on planet earth. To put their nose to the grindstone and bust their butts for 40 years and get sucked into the American Dream of materialism, wealth and lots of bling bling. Then one day the light pops on in their brain (if there is a brain left after drinking and drugs from their earlier years)and they realize it was all a lie. Sad to say, I was once there but God's Grace was sufficient and pulled me up, slapped my face, WHAM, a new me arose.
I absolutely was blown away by what I saw an experienced today. So we went to "SIMPLE CHURCH".
Simple Church is (strangely enough) where I saw the need about a dozen years ago (in my opinion) is the direction where the church should go. Doing things that churches aren't doing to reach people that traditional churches just aren't reaching. I strong feel anything outside of sin is fair game, regardless what people think. Myson and daughterin law have both been going for a while now. They have it in the movie theater on the Boardwalk in Bossier. The now have 4 services. They use LOTS of video clips. Today we saw a clips using stick me and kids cartoon drawings about Dads. Then a country music video, Temporary Home by Carrie Underwood and clips from Summer vacation w/ Chevy Chase.
The concept was initially funded by First Bossier and some die hard individuals that saw that church has to chage and reach in a new direction, and it has exploded but has taken it's hits due to it's fast paced nature. 50 minutes and wham ur out. 2 song worship set, video, message and go. It has been so popular they have a simulcast in the theater next door.
Unbelievable worship experience that has reached many that would never step in a regular church. Very diverse people from all walks of life who are making a huge difference in Bossier.
Back to my initial thoughts, excuse my ADD. I overheard two families talking this morning about their former church. I didn't mean to ease drop (well yea I did) but I am always aware that everyone has a different story and the more I hear, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more knowledge I have towards trying to " make a difference in the dying world.". One said his former church was just not satisfying "his needs". The other family said," they look like a church, act like a church but they are dead inside simply because they never do anything put side their 4walls. They are stuff full of pre-packaged ministry in a box programs and unnecessary 4 wall fellowships.
My initial thoughts were enough to make me vomit (sorry). The first church in Acts got their ACT together, (corny I know. But you gotta admit, the timing was perfect). After the Holy Spirit fell, they were BOLD and SERVED others. Then came this dude named Paul who wrote letters to wake churches up and the New Testament was full of letters from Paul to churches that were in trouble. Either they were being selfish, teaching incorrect doctrine, women were bickering, and on and on. The church, the bride of Christ, the church, the body of believers that Christ loves and protects and died for, was imperfect then and still is today. But, we are to be part of that body, as imperfect as it is because He told us to. Here’s the thing…going to church is not about us. It is about joining with other believers, coming together to worship God and bring Him honor and glory. We live in a day when everything is about us, our comfort, our needs being met, our happiness, our dreams. But when you read scripture, it is all about God and His honor and His glory, His mercy, His grace, His love and His justice. We are the blessed recipients of His grace and His mercy and His redemption. So…what to do about churches that we feel don’t meet our needs. Here is what I think. Find a body of believers where you are certain the Word of God, the Bible, is believed to be the inspired word of God and infallible and inerrant in it’s original form. It is the written source of authority from God and should be the only source of doctrine. Then, make sure that the church teaches from scripture and holds to all of the basic things of the Christian faith, the Trinity, Jesus is the son of God and yet God and is the redeemer, the importance of water baptism and communion, the Holy Spirit, that one must repent and be born again to be saved from eternal damnation, etc. Then decide what you want the church to look like in it’s servant hood capacity. If it is lacking as the writer of the letter felt it was, then change it! Be the one to start a soup kitchen, be the one to start a ministry for unwanted college students who are broke and have no money to tithe. How about SINGLES?
Be the one to set up activities that include both marrieds and singles,
be the one to make sure the orphans and the widows are cared for,
be the one to become a missionary,
be the one to start a jail ministry,
be the one to start a homeless shelter,
be the one to do the things you think the church should do but isn’t.
Why in the world do we all think someone else should be the one to do what we all think churches should do?
Be the one to start it if you don’t like what is missing.
Stop complaining about the church and be Jesus’ hands and feet to the world, to your community, to your family, to the poor and change something–if only one thing–change it if you don’t like it.
If you feel like they don’t value your opinions, show them that you know what you are talking about and your thoughts can be respected. You see, maybe people are just too lazy to do anything and they want someone else to set everything up so they can jump in and spend an hour here or an hour there and feel good about themselves and what they did. Again I say, it is not about us and feeling important, or right, or valued! It is about God and honoring Him, not about feeling good. So everything we do and everything we say, should all be to honor Him. So we should selflessly serve one another and let it start with us!
You think the church is doing it wrong? Quietly start participating and help to change it into what you believe Christ intended it to be. It will NEVER get better if everyone who sees it flaws walks away and shakes their head at it and says I am not going to go there because I am disappointed in it. Change it for Christ’s sake!
till next time !
tc
Romans 5:1
