Where Are You Going?
For many “church” has become an event. We can say we do not believe that “church” is an event, but the way we live and function would suggest otherwise. Much of our time, focus, energy, and money goes toward the our Sunday event that we call “church.”
Several years ago three local congregations spent a combined $250 million-plus on their facilities that house their Sunday worship services.
Many churches pay large teams to prepare, plan, and execute Sunday services. The staff structure in these churches is weighted toward making Sunday work flawlessly.
Congregations have an “attractional” model. They spend time, effort, and money on creating an appealing visual spectacle on Sunday morning, and encourage their participants to invite their friends to attend “church.”
Seminaries train their students who wish to be pastors toward being effective at communicating to a large group through sermons delivered at worship services.
This way of living only reinforces that while “church” may be people, what’s really important is the event. It does not matter what we say, for whatever we spend the most time doing is what we value the most.
We are so oriented toward “event” that one pastor told me, “People in the church today will only give you one or two time slots every week, and Sunday is one of them.” We have trained people to think about church – even away from Sunday – as an event to be scheduled.
Perhaps this is why so many struggle with “living out their faith.” Not only is church an event, but it is unlike anything else we experience in our normal week. It’s no wonder that so many have a seemingly impassable gap between their faith and their life.
The truth of the matter is Jesus told his disciples to make disciples. This is was not a scheduled event in a classroom. This was about learning a lifestyle.
He told his disciples, “As you go, make disciples …” Our question should not be, “Do I have the time to do this?” Rather we should ask, “Where am I going?” Because, if you are a follower of Jesus, then wherever you go your call is to impart the life of Jesus to others.
Teaching others - by the way you live - to see the world with new eyes and live our lives with the heart of Jesus. It’s not an event; it’s way of living. At DCC we believe this is possible. This last week we spoke at length about this through teaching and question and response.