churchmart, pt. 4

So now that I have spoken about some of the things that I see in the church that must stop … what is the solution? I think we need to drastically reduce our “pinnacle” view of Sunday mornings. We have to stop looking at the few hours on Sundays as the thing that gets it done for people. (This coming from a guy who speaks on Sunday mornings.) We have to be honest and admit that Sunday is an event that has only a moderate return on investment. Especially when compared to what happens when the group of people who gather in a building on Sunday start living out the teachings of Jesus.

The church is a group of people who exist for the benefit of its non-members. So we need to live with this in mind at all times. What does this look like? Being aware of social justice issues and inequity in our world. Finding out who the poor and the needy are in our midst and lending them a helping hand … food, money, assistance in finding and sustaining work, giving them transportation. What would this do to the people receiving help, and those giving it? (think Deuteronomy 24).

What would it look like if the people making the biggest difference in our world was the church? What would it look like if we truly were concerned about our environment? What would it look like if we truly sought to reconcile relationships with one another? What would it look like if we reached out to those who believe differently than us? What would it look like if we spent time with those hurting physically? Maybe it would start to look like Jesus. Sunday mornings for the most part look like the theater … living out the Text, well I think this looks more like Jesus.

So what do we do with Sunday? Keep it, but remove the prominence of it. Use it to heighten the awareness of that which is the most important. Heighten the awareness of gathering in our neighborhoods with those who believe like us and those who believe differently. Heighten the awareness of what the church needs to do to better serve the world so that we may have the right to have a voice in our society. Heighten the awareness in the minds of people that if they are not about doing this sort of thing then they are not living life to the fullest.

Imagine that kind of place. Imagine that kind of world. I do. Everyday. I believe it can and will happen.