Are you not entertained? :: Take2 ::

Why is it that we always swing the pendulum from one extreme to the other extreme?

Is it possible to strike a balance?

Is it possible for “church” to strike a balance?

Does it have to either be this or that? Is there a middle ground?

Maybe I’m getting on my soap box here but I become extremely irritated at the petty arguments that take place in the church.

We argue about the color of carpet. To have a steeple or not. To have electric guitars or not. To have instruments or not. To have pews or not. To use this Bible or that. To use a hymnal or not.

In the past 20 years churches have split because of the style of worship.

Really?

The style of worship? Is that what Jesus meant when he called us to follow him? Is that what he died for?

I’m not saying that music doesn’t matter. I’m not saying we shouldn’t be relevant to the world we find ourselves in.

I’m saying that we have minimized “church”, the way of Jesus, to be about a Sunday morning deal.

Do we honestly believe that God wants us to divide his church over these petty things?

Do we honestly believe that God laid it all on the line so that his people would sit in a committee meeting arguing over whether or not to have an electric guitar or not.

I have become convicted about this in our community at Impact.

What are we concerned about? Are we concerned about what God is concerned about?

People are dying, lonely, hurting, suffering, starving, thirsty…and the church is talking about what?

In my opinion Jesus didn’t die for our style or music, translation of the Bible, color of the carpet, our church buildings or our 401K’s. He died to conquer Genesis 3 and reconcile us back to a Genesis 1 & 2 world.

He died to defeat death and reconcile us back to God and back to one another.

Are we doing that?

It doesn’t happen one day a week. It happens when our lives become consumed by his way of life, love, peace and grace.

It happens when the church becomes the Invisible made visible.

“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” [1john.4v12]

The conversation needs to turn from entertainment to community. From the show to being servants. From consuming to giving. From doing church to being the church.