My Library
I am reorganizng my books and trying to get them back in alphabetical order, and it has really amazed me just how many books I've managed to collect over the years. There certainly isn't space for all of them in my meager space. I've taken to putting them in stacks rather than in rows, so that I may cram more onto the shelf. As I looked through them it reminded me of the events that I was going through, and even places that I was when I read them the first, or the most menaingful time. I know I shouldn't have such an emotional attachment to inanimate objects, but I find myself rereading portions of them and having the feeling of looking through a scrapbook. I think that also organizing my books is a tangible way that I can have order and control over my life, which has been something rather lacking in this last week. (Thank you Gregory.)
"The Christian Culture Survival Guide"
One of the books that Iwas filing and re-reading portions of is "The Christian Culture Survival Guide," which I may have mentioned before, but its worth a second look. It takes things to rather an extreme at times, but it does have some deep insights nestled in the comedy. It contains things like lists of "Fifteen Types of Church People to Look Out For." In one portion, he speaks of visiting a non-denominational church with a friend, and that the pastor began the service by stating that they didn't have "church" they simply had an experience with God. The author makes the comment, "We then prodceeded to have church. And it was just like my daddy's church. No, seriously, it was. We sang hymns and praise songs. We heard a sermon. The worship leaders raised their hands and shouted, "Praise You Jesus," durng the instrumental parts. There was absolutely nothing experienced at Middletown Community that was not church. For me, this is fine, but why did the pastor stand up and give a speech abouthis church not being a church?"
This makes me think of my old home church, Faith, as well as others that I have visited, and even The River to a certain extent. So often, we care so much about not having the appeance of "churchiness" that we neglect things that are done for practical reasons (ie- friendship registries, or announcements) and yet we cling to things that are uber-churchy for no apparent reason. The un-church church has become a fad in many ways. I've really seen this in the number of people who come to visit the River from area churches where I know that they are very well ingrained and have no real intention of leaving. Visiting to see what we are about it is cool- to look for things that can be incorporated into their own church, or if people are from Third and want to see what the baby church is up to, but I have seen way to many people come, who have not been brought out by God of their home church who merely are trying us out because we are the "cool" place to be right now. I'd rather that we would be less trendy and less cool if it meant that people would only come for the right reasons. I supppose that I shouldn't bemoan the trendiness if it really does draw people in, but really, what separates all "great" churches is not cool worship music, is not a worship leader with highlighted hair and clothes from Abecrombie, it is the PEOPLE. You can find wonderful people at a Southern Baptist, a Reformed, a Lutheran, or a Non Denominational church. I think that the reason that so many christian churches are failing is because they have taken their eyes off this fact, and put so much effort into cool programing that people are so busy on Sunday mornings and so emotionally exhausted that they can no longer care for those who are visiting and trying out this Jesus thing- they may even go so far as to resent the added burden that these people place on church resources. Do I have some great answer? Do I claim that i am not just as muchthe guilty as the accuser? No. So simply I say that we should each examine our involvement and support of "churchy" things and see if this is preventing us from being Jesus for people, rather than assisting.
I am reorganizng my books and trying to get them back in alphabetical order, and it has really amazed me just how many books I've managed to collect over the years. There certainly isn't space for all of them in my meager space. I've taken to putting them in stacks rather than in rows, so that I may cram more onto the shelf. As I looked through them it reminded me of the events that I was going through, and even places that I was when I read them the first, or the most menaingful time. I know I shouldn't have such an emotional attachment to inanimate objects, but I find myself rereading portions of them and having the feeling of looking through a scrapbook. I think that also organizing my books is a tangible way that I can have order and control over my life, which has been something rather lacking in this last week. (Thank you Gregory.)
"The Christian Culture Survival Guide"
One of the books that Iwas filing and re-reading portions of is "The Christian Culture Survival Guide," which I may have mentioned before, but its worth a second look. It takes things to rather an extreme at times, but it does have some deep insights nestled in the comedy. It contains things like lists of "Fifteen Types of Church People to Look Out For." In one portion, he speaks of visiting a non-denominational church with a friend, and that the pastor began the service by stating that they didn't have "church" they simply had an experience with God. The author makes the comment, "We then prodceeded to have church. And it was just like my daddy's church. No, seriously, it was. We sang hymns and praise songs. We heard a sermon. The worship leaders raised their hands and shouted, "Praise You Jesus," durng the instrumental parts. There was absolutely nothing experienced at Middletown Community that was not church. For me, this is fine, but why did the pastor stand up and give a speech abouthis church not being a church?"
This makes me think of my old home church, Faith, as well as others that I have visited, and even The River to a certain extent. So often, we care so much about not having the appeance of "churchiness" that we neglect things that are done for practical reasons (ie- friendship registries, or announcements) and yet we cling to things that are uber-churchy for no apparent reason. The un-church church has become a fad in many ways. I've really seen this in the number of people who come to visit the River from area churches where I know that they are very well ingrained and have no real intention of leaving. Visiting to see what we are about it is cool- to look for things that can be incorporated into their own church, or if people are from Third and want to see what the baby church is up to, but I have seen way to many people come, who have not been brought out by God of their home church who merely are trying us out because we are the "cool" place to be right now. I'd rather that we would be less trendy and less cool if it meant that people would only come for the right reasons. I supppose that I shouldn't bemoan the trendiness if it really does draw people in, but really, what separates all "great" churches is not cool worship music, is not a worship leader with highlighted hair and clothes from Abecrombie, it is the PEOPLE. You can find wonderful people at a Southern Baptist, a Reformed, a Lutheran, or a Non Denominational church. I think that the reason that so many christian churches are failing is because they have taken their eyes off this fact, and put so much effort into cool programing that people are so busy on Sunday mornings and so emotionally exhausted that they can no longer care for those who are visiting and trying out this Jesus thing- they may even go so far as to resent the added burden that these people place on church resources. Do I have some great answer? Do I claim that i am not just as muchthe guilty as the accuser? No. So simply I say that we should each examine our involvement and support of "churchy" things and see if this is preventing us from being Jesus for people, rather than assisting.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home