I was reading Roger Ray’s article in yesterday’s paper (online edition) about the relevance of today’s church. My wife sent it to me thinking it would make a good blog post. She was right, as always. She acts as my editor in that capacity, by suggesting articles from which I can write my own thoughts.
Anyway, I read the article and wasn’t sure what to think, so I slept on it. Ray’s message is that the church should be taking on issues such as: poverty, injustice, and war rather than a more self-indulgent, egocentric worship service. We Christians should, in his view (if I understood it properly), be focusing on others more than ourselves.
This is not a liberal viewpoint. In fact, I have heard Republicans and Libertarians state that it is the church that should be supporting the poor and working toward eliminating our ills, rather than the government. It is the church’s responsibility to come up with and sustain social programming to help the underprivileged rather than the government through taxation.
Although I do not think that a church should engaged exclusively in social programming, I do think that money is better spent on helping those listed in the Beattitudes rather than in building mega churches with gymnasiums and coffee bars. That is not to say that a church should not build or repair, but the building should never be the emphasis or the goal of the church. To build for the sake of building bigger is unnecessary and may not be what Christ intended. Putting on a fireworks show, the second one in the community, should take a back seat to serving the poor, the downtrodden and the sick.
Where did our churches get lost in all of that? They have become so consumed with looking good that they have lost their way. Some churches, many churches, have become consumed with bigness as a way to prove that they are spiritual and close to God, that they are the true path and that something good must be going on in order for God to grant them such bigness. Maybe it has nothing to do with God.
If your church is not engaged in the community by helping the poor and downtrodden, then maybe, and I say maybe, your church has lost its way. That can always be fixed. I grew up in a Baptist church that did nothing for anyone. We did not work with any community agency to help feed or cloth anyone or provide for the well being of others. True, we did not have much money. It was a mission church with 35-50 members, but that is no excuse. My current church gets it. We are involved in many movements to help others. Too many to list here, in fact.
We also have a capital campaign project right now. It is not that building is bad. Building is not what our church is about. For instance, we are building a new playground. Not a large one, but a useable one; one that is away from the street and safer for the children. Here again, it is not really for the church that we do this. There is a unrelated day care in our church and we partnered to help them serve their children. We will just use it too. That is good use of building money.
Who does your church serve?
Anyway, I read the article and wasn’t sure what to think, so I slept on it. Ray’s message is that the church should be taking on issues such as: poverty, injustice, and war rather than a more self-indulgent, egocentric worship service. We Christians should, in his view (if I understood it properly), be focusing on others more than ourselves.
“…spirituality which does not respond directly to the message of concern for the poor and liberation of the oppressed is little more than idolatry, fine for people whose real interests are narcissistic anyway but not much to offer to anyone who is sincerely seeking a relationship with the Divine.”
This is not a liberal viewpoint. In fact, I have heard Republicans and Libertarians state that it is the church that should be supporting the poor and working toward eliminating our ills, rather than the government. It is the church’s responsibility to come up with and sustain social programming to help the underprivileged rather than the government through taxation.
Although I do not think that a church should engaged exclusively in social programming, I do think that money is better spent on helping those listed in the Beattitudes rather than in building mega churches with gymnasiums and coffee bars. That is not to say that a church should not build or repair, but the building should never be the emphasis or the goal of the church. To build for the sake of building bigger is unnecessary and may not be what Christ intended. Putting on a fireworks show, the second one in the community, should take a back seat to serving the poor, the downtrodden and the sick.
Where did our churches get lost in all of that? They have become so consumed with looking good that they have lost their way. Some churches, many churches, have become consumed with bigness as a way to prove that they are spiritual and close to God, that they are the true path and that something good must be going on in order for God to grant them such bigness. Maybe it has nothing to do with God.
If your church is not engaged in the community by helping the poor and downtrodden, then maybe, and I say maybe, your church has lost its way. That can always be fixed. I grew up in a Baptist church that did nothing for anyone. We did not work with any community agency to help feed or cloth anyone or provide for the well being of others. True, we did not have much money. It was a mission church with 35-50 members, but that is no excuse. My current church gets it. We are involved in many movements to help others. Too many to list here, in fact.
We also have a capital campaign project right now. It is not that building is bad. Building is not what our church is about. For instance, we are building a new playground. Not a large one, but a useable one; one that is away from the street and safer for the children. Here again, it is not really for the church that we do this. There is a unrelated day care in our church and we partnered to help them serve their children. We will just use it too. That is good use of building money.
Who does your church serve?
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4 comments:
Yes, yes, yes!
That's the church for me.
It's a sad component of many of our churches today - the fact many look at themselves as business's. Some even use business terms to describe their growth and finances.
It breaks my heart because I don't think this is what Christianity is about.
Though many see "evolution" as the enemy of the church - scriptures repeatedly ignored - like "an eye of a needle" are conveniently set to the side as is the true mission of believers.
As always, great post.
Darin
Following all of Jesus' teachings is a major problem for many churches. :(
"This is not a liberal viewpoint. In fact, I have heard Republicans and Libertarians state that it is the church that should be supporting the poor and working toward eliminating our ills, rather than the government. It is the church’s responsibility to come up with and sustain social programming to help the underprivileged rather than the government through taxation."
Exactly right.
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