(Author's note: I struggled with this post more than any other I have written to date. I will not devote any space as to what inspired and motivated me to write this, but I trust that it was genuine. It certainly raised my concern for the church as a whole and I came to some inescapable conclusions. ~ JP)
Church, frankly speaking, no longer plays the pivotal role in the lives of people that it once did.
As time goes by both church and the worship experience get pushed further into the background as lives get busier and other things compete for our attention.
Part of the problem is external.
When I was young school activities and organized community sporting events were never scheduled on Sunday let alone during the same hours that worship services were taking place.
Today, parents are forced to make a choice.
As more and more of these events take place on Sunday, the church experience is given an ever diminishing priority.
The problem is further compounded by the internal choices some churches continue to make.
Some dilute the message in order to make it more palatable.
Some choose not to display crosses or other religious symbols because they do not wish to make people feel uncomfortable.
Their end goal thus becomes one of delivering a message that merely makes members feel good about themselves and presents God as having few if any expectations of them.
As these churches grow larger, the message becomes even more watered down and expectations decrease.
As such, the cycle becomes more dangerous and more difficult to correct.
I personally know of one person who joined such a church.
What was his motivation? Sadly, he felt joining this particular church would be a good way for him to make new business contacts.
As these types of churches gain in popularity one would be hard pressed to find any real and meaningful differences between them.
Beyond this there are those outside the church who openly attack it.
For some of them, merely tearing the church down is not enough.
What they desire above all else is to see it fall.
Still others see church as an obstacle.
To them it is something that stands in the way of getting what the world has to offer.
Church requires time, money, effort and a host of other resources they do not wish to relinquish.
If you have read this far you are probably saying to yourself that this does not sound very uplifting.
You are correct. So far, it is not.
As difficult as this is, I am concerned that something is looming on the horizon.
I do not know what it is nor do I wish to indulge in speculation.
One thing of which I am certain is that when it happens we will receive very little warning if any.
Furthermore, any man made warning signals currently in place may prove to be of little value.
I am reminded of a warning from the book of Revelation that I find rather ominous.
Revelation 3:15-16 (NKJV) - I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,I will vomit you out of My mouth.
There is still a chance.
This warning is also accompanied by words of hope for the faithful.
Revelation 3:20 (NKJV) - Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
In the final analysis the choices are ours to make and there still remains time for us to make the right ones.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
Church, frankly speaking, no longer plays the pivotal role in the lives of people that it once did.
As time goes by both church and the worship experience get pushed further into the background as lives get busier and other things compete for our attention.
Part of the problem is external.
When I was young school activities and organized community sporting events were never scheduled on Sunday let alone during the same hours that worship services were taking place.
Today, parents are forced to make a choice.
As more and more of these events take place on Sunday, the church experience is given an ever diminishing priority.
The problem is further compounded by the internal choices some churches continue to make.
Some dilute the message in order to make it more palatable.
Some choose not to display crosses or other religious symbols because they do not wish to make people feel uncomfortable.
Their end goal thus becomes one of delivering a message that merely makes members feel good about themselves and presents God as having few if any expectations of them.
As these churches grow larger, the message becomes even more watered down and expectations decrease.
As such, the cycle becomes more dangerous and more difficult to correct.
I personally know of one person who joined such a church.
What was his motivation? Sadly, he felt joining this particular church would be a good way for him to make new business contacts.
As these types of churches gain in popularity one would be hard pressed to find any real and meaningful differences between them.
Beyond this there are those outside the church who openly attack it.
For some of them, merely tearing the church down is not enough.
What they desire above all else is to see it fall.
Still others see church as an obstacle.
To them it is something that stands in the way of getting what the world has to offer.
Church requires time, money, effort and a host of other resources they do not wish to relinquish.
If you have read this far you are probably saying to yourself that this does not sound very uplifting.
You are correct. So far, it is not.
As difficult as this is, I am concerned that something is looming on the horizon.
I do not know what it is nor do I wish to indulge in speculation.
One thing of which I am certain is that when it happens we will receive very little warning if any.
Furthermore, any man made warning signals currently in place may prove to be of little value.
I am reminded of a warning from the book of Revelation that I find rather ominous.
Revelation 3:15-16 (NKJV) - I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot,I will vomit you out of My mouth.
There is still a chance.
This warning is also accompanied by words of hope for the faithful.
Revelation 3:20 (NKJV) - Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
In the final analysis the choices are ours to make and there still remains time for us to make the right ones.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
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