This is my final part in my letter to my fellow "church-ians" series.(Find Part I here & Part II here) I feel like somewhere down the road, in a different form there could be more on this, but for now this is where it ends. I can't say that I hope you have "enjoyed" it, I don't think its something people feel comfortable discussing and maybe that is why there has been minimal feedback. I do, however, hope that it has opened up the internal dialogue within you. Not that I am encouraging you to find faults in the church, but rather that you would be able to admit that it does indeed have shortcomings. My goal (other than to share my point of view) was to show that it is okay to have uneasy feelings about the issue and that it doesn't need to be swept under the rug.
So, for my final thoughts on this series and subject...
I am very discouraged to see the absence of Jesus in "church discipleship". What does this mean exactly? I have seen many times new members of a church body be introduced to rules and commitments, none of which are imperative to their Christian growth. For example, it is not uncommon that a new church member would be asked to show their commitment to Christ in the form of purging themselves of all "secular" music. [Side note: I absolutely detest the term secular! One of its dictionary definitions is "not overtly or specifically religious." Seriously?!? Another rant for another time I guess...] Back to church discipleship...what difference does it make what I listen to if I am being taught to listen to the voice of God in my life. What a concept! Leave the rules and regulations to God. Instead of teaching us how to heed the Words of God, we are taught that these "men of God" are our connection to what God is asking of us. From what I know of discipleship, it was perfectly modeled in the New Testament with Jesus and his disciples. That example shows a man asking nothing more of these men than to follow him. That would be too simple though, surely Jesus must have said "follow me and never listen to secular music." The idea that is conveyed when a church throws rules and commitments at people is "now you've received salvation, but that's not enough...its Jesus + <=== (insert word of your choice here.) Is it just me or is something very wrong with this picture? Church leaders are sometimes so scared to get close to people; scared that word might get out that they are human.
So, why does this idea bother me so much? Here's why: so often today there is this term used in new churches...they are trying to be "culturally relevant" to the 18-28 demographic. As a 21 year old that means me. The way most churches try to "reach" me is by having a light show during worship, having awesome multimedia ministries, singing (dare I use the word) secular songs during Sunday morning worship, using movie clips from the latest hit at the box office, taking a "coffeehouse" approach, and the list goes on and on. Based on this list though, they are assuming that the people in this demographic are dropping out of church purely because of aesthetics. It is their belief that giving Sunday morning service a face lift, or moving church to a different day of the week will bring me back in. There are tons of books on this stuff right now, its not all bad, but a lot of it addresses the symptoms of what I believe is a bigger problem. So, if there are any of you out there reading this that are pastors or ministers and are curious about how to more effectively reach this lost demographic...here is one girl's opinion.
I honestly, don't care that much about what church looks like on any given day of the week as long as I have an encounter with God. I have a lot that I face during the week, I need church to not be another thing on my list of things to do. I need it to be a safe haven where I can give and be given to. I want a shepherd that will, without hesitation, walk along side me as we figure out the Christian walk. (key word "we", implying a sense of togetherness) I want a leadership team that doesn't have it all together; a team that is broken just like I am. I want to walk into a church that isn't "us" (leaders) and "them" (members). I want to be able to say "I have issues with church because I've been burned by it" and not be sentenced to exile for blasphemy. I want real relationships with people. Real community. Real-life, never gonna be the same again, I am never alone, I can blow it and still be loved back in, relational church. I want New Testament discipleship. I want to be taught to hear God's voice and presence in my life and use that as my compass in all things. I want people to know God through me. I don't want to scare hell into people but rather infiltrate their hearts with God's message of grace and redemption. I want a church that is filled with Christ's love, a place I belong...a place I wanna bring my twenty-something friends to. A safe place. An extension of the heart of Christ.
It's a lot, I realize that, but I don't think its impossible. I think its just a matter of figuring out how to move past the religion we have always known into relationship, first with God, and then with one another.
I don't have the answers, I don't have a model for what my ideal church would look like, but I know that most of the present-day churches are just not cutting it. I'm not scared to say that, I'm not even scared if it offends some who will read this...I feel very passionately about the church needing to change its view toward cultural relevance. I am tired of seeing my peers, people I care about fall through the cracks because no one is really looking at them, looking out for them...reaching them. This is for them.
Thanks for reading.
15 years ago
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