Do We Have To Go To Church?
Bible Study
Hope For Tomorrow
What Jesus Would Say Today
Object:
The church is that place in human society where men are disturbed by the word of the eternal God, which stands as a judgment upon human aspirations. But it is also the place where the word of mercy, reconciliation, and consolation is heard.
-- Reinhold Niebuhr
* * *
The church came down out of heaven from God. That sentence seems to me the most important thing that can be said about the church, though it sounds strange and even repellent to modern ears which dislike any reference to the supernatural.
-- Leslie Weatherhead
* * *
I'm not one of the rescuers. I need to be rescued.
-- Conan Wachsnicht, 20, marooned for three nights on Oregon's Mount Hood, when finally reached by searchers
Do We Have To Go To Church?
"The Scripture says, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.' "
-- Matthew 4:10b
Some Sunday mornings I would like to skip church services. Sometimes I'd like to dawdle over the Sunday paper, then take my family to a restaurant for brunch, possibly followed by an NFL game on television. I rarely do this. I go to church anyway. Often, on such Sundays, I'm glad I chose to go. When the sermon is good and the music is something I like and is well done, and if there weren't too many intrusive announcements, I leave feeling blessed and glad I went. There are times, of course, when I check my watch and, though I'm sort of glad I went, I don't particularly feel benefited. It was more like getting the lawn mowed or the dishes done. Some Sundays I look forward to church. But either way, I go because of something I have learned: if I wish to continue as a practicing Christian, it is very important that I worship God regularly. My private prayer life is also important as is my reading of the Bible, but corporate worship is, I have decided, indispensable to my faith, whether I feel like it or not. William Willimon, professor of religion at Duke University, wrote, "Show me a Christian who only goes to church when he or she feels deep, spontaneous, overwhelming need to praise God, and I will show you a rather weak, insubstantial disciple." Jesus said, "Where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them" (Matthew 18:20). We enter into a special relationship with Jesus when we join a gathering of people to worship.
* * *
Because we are each unique individuals, we don't all respond in the same way to the same style of worship. It only makes sense to seek out a church which best ministers to us and our families, then support that church with our prayers, our gifts, and our presence.
* * *
A great truth about worship is that the measure of its value is not how I feel. I am there to declare the "worth-ship" of God, to be open to that sometimes-moment when God will move me in a special way. There have been such times. Insights have come to me in worship, often when I'm least ready. I once attended a service at First Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois. Frankly, I had other things on my mind and was only barely tuned in to what was happening. It was communion Sunday and I was even wondering if I could slip out early without being noticed. That being unlikely, I began to examine the elaborately carved wooden reredos in the front of the sanctuary. At the top of that splendid structure is a carving of the face of Christ. As I stared at it, I suddenly had the overwhelming impression that his eyes were staring down at me. For a brief moment those living eyes held me transfixed. I blinked, and once more saw only the wooden carving. But I was deeply moved. Intellectually, I knew there was a lot of my own imagination at work. And yet, it seemed quite real, so much so that since that time, Holy Communion has had a great deal of meaning for me. I was convinced that Jesus was present in that service.
My purpose here is not to dissect Christian worship. However, I believe there are some myths which need correcting. One is the idea that we should not enjoy worship. That doesn't make any sense to me. Excepting the few dedicated souls who will grimly attend their services no matter what, most of us won't remain regular worshipers for long if the services don't appeal to us both emotionally and intellectually, as well as spiritually. Saint Paul wrote to his Corinthian friends, "I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray also with my mind" (1 Corinthians 14:15). Paul was gently chiding some of his friends who had fallen into a kind of emotionalistic worship which others could not understand and was urging that worship make sense to the mind while at the same time having emotional and spiritual power. Because we are each unique individuals, we don't all respond in the same way to the same style of worship. It only makes sense to seek out a church which best ministers to us and our families, then support that church with our prayers, our gifts, and our presence.
Let's think about personality and life situation differences which play a part in our choice of church to attend. I have some friends whose home I frequently visit. They love country music. I don't. With apologies to those readers who prefer country music, my preference is jazz, especially piano. Another of my clergy friends, on the other hand, sniffs at all of this and listens only to classical music. None of us is better than the others. We just have different aesthetic tastes when it comes to music, and we're all good friends. However, this does play a part in our choices of church music, and it underlines the fact that in a larger sense we don't all respond in the same way to the aesthetics of our world.
Jungian psychologists have determined that there are sixteen identifiable personality types in America. That is probably an oversimplification, but the designations are a useful tool. One element is that of extroversion/introversion. An extrovert derives energy from people, an introvert expends energy when with people. On the other hand, an extrovert easily becomes bored when alone, whereas the introvert needs aloneness to regain energy. A few years ago, being unmindful of this, I noticed that a clergy friend whom I greatly admire often went to a monastery for a few days where he would eat in silence, rise very early, and spend the day in long, lonely walks, meditating and praying. He would eventually return, greatly refreshed and ready to return to his ministry more effectively than ever. I decided I should be doing something similar. Accordingly, I gathered up some books I had been wanting to read and registered in a motel near a forest where I, too, could roam in lonely solitude. All went well -- for about half a day. But after a while, I found there were some things I wanted to discuss, so I called a friend who lived nearby and arranged that we'd have dinner together that evening. Three days later, I returned home, not particularly refreshed.
My minister friend is an extreme introvert. I am an extrovert. His religious life is best nurtured by lonely contemplation. Mine, on the other hand, is nurtured by talking with people and by being with friends. Again, one is not better than another. We are just different. This doesn't mean I don't have periods of quiet meditation and prayer. In fact, as I have grown older, these have become increasingly important to me, but never to the extent that they are important to some of my introverted friends. We find our deepest inspiration and renewal in different places.
* * *
"Gangway for de Lawd God Jehovah."
-- Marc Connelly in Green Pastures
* * *
Another interesting characteristic of personality, according to Jungian psychologists, is the fact that some people process their life experiences intellectually, and some people process their life experiences emotionally. This is why some people cry at movies and other people don't. I do. I recently left a touching movie by a side exit, hoping not to see anyone I knew. I refused to blow my nose and thereby let those around me know I was teary-eyed, so I sniffled my way to the car while displaying a totally fake, happy smile. Others around me, I noticed, seemed unaffected by the movie. This surely must play a part in our worship experience. One church may have a pastor whose strength is carefully-reasoned sermons, filled with erudite quotes and an occasional illustration carefully chosen not to be too emotional in its effect. Worshipers may leave informed about the faith. Another pastor may be more inclined to sermons which touch the heart, using stories which leave the worshipper moved and inspired. Assuming each pastor is being honest and that each has done the hard work of understanding and explaining the chosen Bible passage, it's probable that each is serving God equally well. It's also probable that one will attract a noticeably different congregation than the other. As worshipers, we have a right to choose which better speaks to us.
There are other differences among us. Some of us come from highly verbal families, some from quiet nonverbal stock. Some of us are highly gregarious, some are shy. Some of us respond well to authoritarian preaching, others are put off by it, preferring to hear reasoned presentations that leave us free to decide for ourselves what we believe. Some of us live in cities, some in suburbs, some in rural America. Our needs are not the same. Many small churches are also social centers and perform a bonding role to surrounding members, nearly all of whom know each other. Others are larger churches serving people from great distances, meeting quite different needs than those of the small church. A few churches are extremely large and able to meet a great variety of human needs, with extensive programs and specialized staff members. Having served in one of the latter kind of church, I often saw people leave because "our church has gotten too big." This never bothered me because I knew those people had needs which a small church could better meet.
One significant development in Christian worship is the growing number of churches featuring "contemporary worship services." Those churches which I have contacted indicate that such services are well attended. As yet, there doesn't seem to be an identifiable pattern to contemporary services, beyond the general use of alternative music, and somewhat altered preaching styles, often with the preacher coming out from behind the pulpit, plus a relaxed dress code for those who attend. It is likely that this movement will become a major development in mainstream Protestantism. Some very large congregations have received national attention because of their nontraditional approach to worship, and a growing number of clergy are attending them, looking for ideas and inspiration as to how such alternative worship can be adapted to their own situations.
I discover strong feelings about this movement. An enthusiastic minority of people, both current church attenders and people from outside the traditional church, are responding in growing numbers. One church in this city is using very large video screens on which are displayed brief clips from movies or television shows. The preacher uses these as illustrations, which can make a sermon very effective, and the music is nontraditional, a mix of contemporary Christian music and some popular numbers familiar to a younger age group, played on synthesizer, guitars, drums, and piano. The scripture passage is often acted out rather than being read in a traditional way. The choir wears street clothes, which completes the casual atmosphere. This service is full to near capacity every Sunday.
Another large local church provides a service featuring popular religious music with words shown on a large screen, the singing led by a very talented musician who accompanies himself with computerized music and a keyboard. This church has found it necessary to move the service to larger quarters because of increased attendance. Still another nearby already-large church has doubled in size and attendance by celebrating worship at all three services with contemporary music and a casual style of worship leadership.
There are some things those of us who are older and more inclined to prefer traditional worship styles need to remember. A young generation has come along which was raised on television with frequent commercials (shorter attention spans), and is accustomed to music played on CDs or music listened to through headphones of high quality. They are generally familiar with and may even be expert with computers. If one watches television music shows, you'll see how fast the action is, as is true of movies and most television shows. For better or worse, a younger generation is considering church attendance who may not be inspired with some of the classical music I was raised to expect, or with sermons delivered in traditional ways. It's well to recall that in the early days of American Protestantism, many popular hymns were set to tunes one could also hear in saloons. I well remember my very first Sunday as a new preacher in a small rural church. The organist had a favorite hymn, "O Happy Day." She often played it on the church's little electronic organ as the congregation assembled for worship. But not being familiar with the tune as a hymn at the time, I recognized it as "How Dry I Am." There is plenty of precedent for the use of familiar popular music in worship (I recently heard "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in a service).
I predict that some amalgamation of the variant forms of worship with more traditional forms, still the favorite with the majority of church people, will take place. There will be an evolution of worship, utilizing electronic media increasingly. My private opinion is that there is a need for better contemporary music (some of it is pretty good, some not so good at present). But as in so many things, a new day is dawning, a generation of clergy and church leaders who are comfortable with new technology is moving us in new and exciting directions. There will be some misfires, some failures, some embarrassments. At times the distinction between entertainment and worship may be blurred. One prays that worship in tomorrow's churches will be as effective in carrying us into the next century as those forms of worship which have inspired and empowered so many generations to the present.
The point of all of this is to suggest that the reason we have so many denominations, and so many congregations, and so many different forms of worship, is so that each of us can find a place where we can sincerely worship. I have decided that God doesn't care what denomination we choose, or what local church we decide to attend. What is important is that we find a place which can appeal to our particular personalities in such a way that we can open our minds to the moving of God's spirit and find inner joy in the process. Some clergy speak disparagingly of "church shoppers." I disagree. If you move to a new community, that's exactly what you should do. Find a church which is compatible with your aesthetic senses and your personality. Then attend and support that church.
Another myth comes in the form of a criticism which says, "Well, no wonder that church is growing. It's a 'feel-good' church. The pastor only says what people want to hear." (I fear one sometimes hears this from an occasional clergyperson who can't understand why his or her own church hasn't grown.) There may be churches like that, though I don't personally know where to find one. The preacher's job is to declare the scriptural word as he or she understands it without regard to popularity. This does not mean, however, sending everyone away Sunday after Sunday feeling guilty and inadequate. On the contrary, a clergyperson's work is to encourage and build up, to send people away glad they're Christians, and exuberant about their church and their faith. Jesus once said, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:11). One wise Lutheran pastor of an earlier generation said it well: "Much would be gained if ... a young man or an old man stood up before us (and) what he told us we did not understand; but there must be something wonderfully lovely about the gospel if a person can talk about it so joyfully." Of course there will be Sundays when painful subjects must be discussed. So long as the pastor doesn't sound self-righteous, as though he or she has achieved that which the congregation has failed to achieve, every church member I have known has been glad to listen to the biblical word, even when it bites. That, in fact, is why we need to be there -- to hear the biblical word. It will come in song, in preaching, in reading, and as important as anything, in how we treat each other. But its ultimate effect is rightly to bring joy to our lives, to build us up.
A wonderful story came out of West Virginia a few years ago. A young minister, just out of seminary, was assigned to a little church nestled in the mountains. One Sunday, an elderly lady greeted the young man, then asked if he could possibly visit her husband in their home. Supposing the man to be disabled, the minister agreed to call that very week. At this point, the lady explained that her husband was quite able-bodied. He just didn't believe in going to church. Experienced ministers dread an assignment like that. But this young man agreed, and sure enough, he arrived one afternoon a few days later.
The young minister was greeted by a typical mountain man, good-hearted, calloused hands, a man of very few words. He invited his visitor in and said, "You're welcome here, pastor. But I know why you're here, and it's been tried before. I think I'm as good a Christian as most around here. But I don't have to go to church to prove it." It was winter and the two took seats before a welcoming, blazing fire. There were a few pleasantries, but soon the two fell silent. Finally, the young man arose and approached the fire. Carefully, he used a pair of tongs to remove a large coal from the fire, dragging it to the side of the hearth. After a while, the blazing coal grew dim, then black and cold and dead. The young pastor then went to the fire once more. He picked up the dead coal and replaced it in the fire. Before long it caught fire and was blazing red and hot once more. Then the young man, saying nothing, started out the door. As he left, the old mountain man called after him, "I understand your point, Reverend. I'll see you in church Sunday."
What would Jesus say? I believe he would say: "I want you in a church of your own choice each week. I don't care where you go to church. Just be sure to be a good-spirited, contributing member of that church. Worship God regularly, and great blessings will come upon you, and your joy will one day be complete."
Questions For Discussion
1. What do you like about your church?
2. If you don't currently attend a church, what would you want to find if you went to one?
3. What elements in a worship service mean the most to you?
4. Is there something you would change in your church? Why?
5. Is everyone welcome there, in your view? If not, who is unwelcome and why?
-- Reinhold Niebuhr
* * *
The church came down out of heaven from God. That sentence seems to me the most important thing that can be said about the church, though it sounds strange and even repellent to modern ears which dislike any reference to the supernatural.
-- Leslie Weatherhead
* * *
I'm not one of the rescuers. I need to be rescued.
-- Conan Wachsnicht, 20, marooned for three nights on Oregon's Mount Hood, when finally reached by searchers
Do We Have To Go To Church?
"The Scripture says, 'Worship the Lord your God and serve only him.' "
-- Matthew 4:10b
Some Sunday mornings I would like to skip church services. Sometimes I'd like to dawdle over the Sunday paper, then take my family to a restaurant for brunch, possibly followed by an NFL game on television. I rarely do this. I go to church anyway. Often, on such Sundays, I'm glad I chose to go. When the sermon is good and the music is something I like and is well done, and if there weren't too many intrusive announcements, I leave feeling blessed and glad I went. There are times, of course, when I check my watch and, though I'm sort of glad I went, I don't particularly feel benefited. It was more like getting the lawn mowed or the dishes done. Some Sundays I look forward to church. But either way, I go because of something I have learned: if I wish to continue as a practicing Christian, it is very important that I worship God regularly. My private prayer life is also important as is my reading of the Bible, but corporate worship is, I have decided, indispensable to my faith, whether I feel like it or not. William Willimon, professor of religion at Duke University, wrote, "Show me a Christian who only goes to church when he or she feels deep, spontaneous, overwhelming need to praise God, and I will show you a rather weak, insubstantial disciple." Jesus said, "Where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them" (Matthew 18:20). We enter into a special relationship with Jesus when we join a gathering of people to worship.
* * *
Because we are each unique individuals, we don't all respond in the same way to the same style of worship. It only makes sense to seek out a church which best ministers to us and our families, then support that church with our prayers, our gifts, and our presence.
* * *
A great truth about worship is that the measure of its value is not how I feel. I am there to declare the "worth-ship" of God, to be open to that sometimes-moment when God will move me in a special way. There have been such times. Insights have come to me in worship, often when I'm least ready. I once attended a service at First Methodist Church in Evanston, Illinois. Frankly, I had other things on my mind and was only barely tuned in to what was happening. It was communion Sunday and I was even wondering if I could slip out early without being noticed. That being unlikely, I began to examine the elaborately carved wooden reredos in the front of the sanctuary. At the top of that splendid structure is a carving of the face of Christ. As I stared at it, I suddenly had the overwhelming impression that his eyes were staring down at me. For a brief moment those living eyes held me transfixed. I blinked, and once more saw only the wooden carving. But I was deeply moved. Intellectually, I knew there was a lot of my own imagination at work. And yet, it seemed quite real, so much so that since that time, Holy Communion has had a great deal of meaning for me. I was convinced that Jesus was present in that service.
My purpose here is not to dissect Christian worship. However, I believe there are some myths which need correcting. One is the idea that we should not enjoy worship. That doesn't make any sense to me. Excepting the few dedicated souls who will grimly attend their services no matter what, most of us won't remain regular worshipers for long if the services don't appeal to us both emotionally and intellectually, as well as spiritually. Saint Paul wrote to his Corinthian friends, "I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray also with my mind" (1 Corinthians 14:15). Paul was gently chiding some of his friends who had fallen into a kind of emotionalistic worship which others could not understand and was urging that worship make sense to the mind while at the same time having emotional and spiritual power. Because we are each unique individuals, we don't all respond in the same way to the same style of worship. It only makes sense to seek out a church which best ministers to us and our families, then support that church with our prayers, our gifts, and our presence.
Let's think about personality and life situation differences which play a part in our choice of church to attend. I have some friends whose home I frequently visit. They love country music. I don't. With apologies to those readers who prefer country music, my preference is jazz, especially piano. Another of my clergy friends, on the other hand, sniffs at all of this and listens only to classical music. None of us is better than the others. We just have different aesthetic tastes when it comes to music, and we're all good friends. However, this does play a part in our choices of church music, and it underlines the fact that in a larger sense we don't all respond in the same way to the aesthetics of our world.
Jungian psychologists have determined that there are sixteen identifiable personality types in America. That is probably an oversimplification, but the designations are a useful tool. One element is that of extroversion/introversion. An extrovert derives energy from people, an introvert expends energy when with people. On the other hand, an extrovert easily becomes bored when alone, whereas the introvert needs aloneness to regain energy. A few years ago, being unmindful of this, I noticed that a clergy friend whom I greatly admire often went to a monastery for a few days where he would eat in silence, rise very early, and spend the day in long, lonely walks, meditating and praying. He would eventually return, greatly refreshed and ready to return to his ministry more effectively than ever. I decided I should be doing something similar. Accordingly, I gathered up some books I had been wanting to read and registered in a motel near a forest where I, too, could roam in lonely solitude. All went well -- for about half a day. But after a while, I found there were some things I wanted to discuss, so I called a friend who lived nearby and arranged that we'd have dinner together that evening. Three days later, I returned home, not particularly refreshed.
My minister friend is an extreme introvert. I am an extrovert. His religious life is best nurtured by lonely contemplation. Mine, on the other hand, is nurtured by talking with people and by being with friends. Again, one is not better than another. We are just different. This doesn't mean I don't have periods of quiet meditation and prayer. In fact, as I have grown older, these have become increasingly important to me, but never to the extent that they are important to some of my introverted friends. We find our deepest inspiration and renewal in different places.
* * *
"Gangway for de Lawd God Jehovah."
-- Marc Connelly in Green Pastures
* * *
Another interesting characteristic of personality, according to Jungian psychologists, is the fact that some people process their life experiences intellectually, and some people process their life experiences emotionally. This is why some people cry at movies and other people don't. I do. I recently left a touching movie by a side exit, hoping not to see anyone I knew. I refused to blow my nose and thereby let those around me know I was teary-eyed, so I sniffled my way to the car while displaying a totally fake, happy smile. Others around me, I noticed, seemed unaffected by the movie. This surely must play a part in our worship experience. One church may have a pastor whose strength is carefully-reasoned sermons, filled with erudite quotes and an occasional illustration carefully chosen not to be too emotional in its effect. Worshipers may leave informed about the faith. Another pastor may be more inclined to sermons which touch the heart, using stories which leave the worshipper moved and inspired. Assuming each pastor is being honest and that each has done the hard work of understanding and explaining the chosen Bible passage, it's probable that each is serving God equally well. It's also probable that one will attract a noticeably different congregation than the other. As worshipers, we have a right to choose which better speaks to us.
There are other differences among us. Some of us come from highly verbal families, some from quiet nonverbal stock. Some of us are highly gregarious, some are shy. Some of us respond well to authoritarian preaching, others are put off by it, preferring to hear reasoned presentations that leave us free to decide for ourselves what we believe. Some of us live in cities, some in suburbs, some in rural America. Our needs are not the same. Many small churches are also social centers and perform a bonding role to surrounding members, nearly all of whom know each other. Others are larger churches serving people from great distances, meeting quite different needs than those of the small church. A few churches are extremely large and able to meet a great variety of human needs, with extensive programs and specialized staff members. Having served in one of the latter kind of church, I often saw people leave because "our church has gotten too big." This never bothered me because I knew those people had needs which a small church could better meet.
One significant development in Christian worship is the growing number of churches featuring "contemporary worship services." Those churches which I have contacted indicate that such services are well attended. As yet, there doesn't seem to be an identifiable pattern to contemporary services, beyond the general use of alternative music, and somewhat altered preaching styles, often with the preacher coming out from behind the pulpit, plus a relaxed dress code for those who attend. It is likely that this movement will become a major development in mainstream Protestantism. Some very large congregations have received national attention because of their nontraditional approach to worship, and a growing number of clergy are attending them, looking for ideas and inspiration as to how such alternative worship can be adapted to their own situations.
I discover strong feelings about this movement. An enthusiastic minority of people, both current church attenders and people from outside the traditional church, are responding in growing numbers. One church in this city is using very large video screens on which are displayed brief clips from movies or television shows. The preacher uses these as illustrations, which can make a sermon very effective, and the music is nontraditional, a mix of contemporary Christian music and some popular numbers familiar to a younger age group, played on synthesizer, guitars, drums, and piano. The scripture passage is often acted out rather than being read in a traditional way. The choir wears street clothes, which completes the casual atmosphere. This service is full to near capacity every Sunday.
Another large local church provides a service featuring popular religious music with words shown on a large screen, the singing led by a very talented musician who accompanies himself with computerized music and a keyboard. This church has found it necessary to move the service to larger quarters because of increased attendance. Still another nearby already-large church has doubled in size and attendance by celebrating worship at all three services with contemporary music and a casual style of worship leadership.
There are some things those of us who are older and more inclined to prefer traditional worship styles need to remember. A young generation has come along which was raised on television with frequent commercials (shorter attention spans), and is accustomed to music played on CDs or music listened to through headphones of high quality. They are generally familiar with and may even be expert with computers. If one watches television music shows, you'll see how fast the action is, as is true of movies and most television shows. For better or worse, a younger generation is considering church attendance who may not be inspired with some of the classical music I was raised to expect, or with sermons delivered in traditional ways. It's well to recall that in the early days of American Protestantism, many popular hymns were set to tunes one could also hear in saloons. I well remember my very first Sunday as a new preacher in a small rural church. The organist had a favorite hymn, "O Happy Day." She often played it on the church's little electronic organ as the congregation assembled for worship. But not being familiar with the tune as a hymn at the time, I recognized it as "How Dry I Am." There is plenty of precedent for the use of familiar popular music in worship (I recently heard "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in a service).
I predict that some amalgamation of the variant forms of worship with more traditional forms, still the favorite with the majority of church people, will take place. There will be an evolution of worship, utilizing electronic media increasingly. My private opinion is that there is a need for better contemporary music (some of it is pretty good, some not so good at present). But as in so many things, a new day is dawning, a generation of clergy and church leaders who are comfortable with new technology is moving us in new and exciting directions. There will be some misfires, some failures, some embarrassments. At times the distinction between entertainment and worship may be blurred. One prays that worship in tomorrow's churches will be as effective in carrying us into the next century as those forms of worship which have inspired and empowered so many generations to the present.
The point of all of this is to suggest that the reason we have so many denominations, and so many congregations, and so many different forms of worship, is so that each of us can find a place where we can sincerely worship. I have decided that God doesn't care what denomination we choose, or what local church we decide to attend. What is important is that we find a place which can appeal to our particular personalities in such a way that we can open our minds to the moving of God's spirit and find inner joy in the process. Some clergy speak disparagingly of "church shoppers." I disagree. If you move to a new community, that's exactly what you should do. Find a church which is compatible with your aesthetic senses and your personality. Then attend and support that church.
Another myth comes in the form of a criticism which says, "Well, no wonder that church is growing. It's a 'feel-good' church. The pastor only says what people want to hear." (I fear one sometimes hears this from an occasional clergyperson who can't understand why his or her own church hasn't grown.) There may be churches like that, though I don't personally know where to find one. The preacher's job is to declare the scriptural word as he or she understands it without regard to popularity. This does not mean, however, sending everyone away Sunday after Sunday feeling guilty and inadequate. On the contrary, a clergyperson's work is to encourage and build up, to send people away glad they're Christians, and exuberant about their church and their faith. Jesus once said, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:11). One wise Lutheran pastor of an earlier generation said it well: "Much would be gained if ... a young man or an old man stood up before us (and) what he told us we did not understand; but there must be something wonderfully lovely about the gospel if a person can talk about it so joyfully." Of course there will be Sundays when painful subjects must be discussed. So long as the pastor doesn't sound self-righteous, as though he or she has achieved that which the congregation has failed to achieve, every church member I have known has been glad to listen to the biblical word, even when it bites. That, in fact, is why we need to be there -- to hear the biblical word. It will come in song, in preaching, in reading, and as important as anything, in how we treat each other. But its ultimate effect is rightly to bring joy to our lives, to build us up.
A wonderful story came out of West Virginia a few years ago. A young minister, just out of seminary, was assigned to a little church nestled in the mountains. One Sunday, an elderly lady greeted the young man, then asked if he could possibly visit her husband in their home. Supposing the man to be disabled, the minister agreed to call that very week. At this point, the lady explained that her husband was quite able-bodied. He just didn't believe in going to church. Experienced ministers dread an assignment like that. But this young man agreed, and sure enough, he arrived one afternoon a few days later.
The young minister was greeted by a typical mountain man, good-hearted, calloused hands, a man of very few words. He invited his visitor in and said, "You're welcome here, pastor. But I know why you're here, and it's been tried before. I think I'm as good a Christian as most around here. But I don't have to go to church to prove it." It was winter and the two took seats before a welcoming, blazing fire. There were a few pleasantries, but soon the two fell silent. Finally, the young man arose and approached the fire. Carefully, he used a pair of tongs to remove a large coal from the fire, dragging it to the side of the hearth. After a while, the blazing coal grew dim, then black and cold and dead. The young pastor then went to the fire once more. He picked up the dead coal and replaced it in the fire. Before long it caught fire and was blazing red and hot once more. Then the young man, saying nothing, started out the door. As he left, the old mountain man called after him, "I understand your point, Reverend. I'll see you in church Sunday."
What would Jesus say? I believe he would say: "I want you in a church of your own choice each week. I don't care where you go to church. Just be sure to be a good-spirited, contributing member of that church. Worship God regularly, and great blessings will come upon you, and your joy will one day be complete."
Questions For Discussion
1. What do you like about your church?
2. If you don't currently attend a church, what would you want to find if you went to one?
3. What elements in a worship service mean the most to you?
4. Is there something you would change in your church? Why?
5. Is everyone welcome there, in your view? If not, who is unwelcome and why?
