This weekend, in a random conversation with one of my friends, we discussed whether the modern church has positioned itself for vitality beyond this generation. Has the church become so loosely affiliated with the mission of Christ that it no longer has a spot in the future. With any organization or business, the initial foundation is always central to the core of the business. Now, Carlo, a 32 year old Assistant Professor of English and self actuated religious skeptic argued that because the modern church is based more on Doctrines articulated by Paul than the life/acts and love ethic of Christ; it was doomed to fail at some point anyhow.
My friend Carlo said, "Churches for the most part are missing the mark" I had to wonder, what mark? The modern churchs' mantra has focused on building bigger sanctuaries, but leaving education in its wake. Huge sanctuaries serve as the yearly goals of most Pastors. Although a generality, I had to consider this viewpoint. If we were honest about it, success often equated with satisfaction. This is true in business and more relevantly, its true in the church. Music, Message and Methodology are the three M's of the modern church. If you have the right music, people will come. If you have the right message, people will listen and your methodology of the aforementioned will spell out whether your church is a failure or success. Filling the pews in order to make budget is a painstakingly true reality of today's church, and maybe it has been. The message of the church is motivated by the attendee's right? A Pastor does not run a church for an audience of one. No one wants to admit it, but yes we are called to the numbers game. We preach, sweat and bleed in an effort to fill the pews. Some of us sacrifice common sense and good health in order to see a full sanctuary on a Sunday morning.Preacher's learn early on that their goal should be that each and every soul gets saved. So, we should admit that we wait for people to come down that aisle not just to give God their heart, but to become an active participant in the faith community, and if we are lucky, a tither. However, I must openly question whether our tactics serve us? Or serve this present age, our calling to fulfill. In this day and age, we are challenged to dilute some text, while altogether ignoring others. We engage in body politics, arguing whether God can love someone who is gay, or deciding for God who gets in and who does not. Make no mistake about it, I dont write this post with the intention of providing a answer but that we take this moment to answer some critical questions, Is this the church that Jesus envisioned? If yes, how,and if no, why not?
My Suggestion
If the modern church is to secure its stake in society it must be more than a house for sporadic encouragement. Every church community must decide what issues are of most importance to them, what social issues within society they can lay claim to. People dont only need to be encouraged, they need an answer. While answers are not plentiful, some do exist. How about using some of those funds, for new pulpit furniture to help pay the rent of some of your struggling congregants. I can openly admit, that I experienced this type of ministry and it made the purpose of church (community) all the more real for me. Jesus, if he is the archetype of the church did not major in committee formation, he did the work of the ministry. Feeding the hungry should not be a ministry that can be contracted out, its a function of the church. What is the modus operendi of the church?
I would argue that Jesus's statement of purpose would give us some much needed insight, he states in Luke 4:18,
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed....
The church should major in working with the "least of these" and minor in church building, because I wholeheartedly believe that if the Church does the work, God will handle the numbers.....
