Church is Boring

If you haven't thought this before, you are lying. This thought, as difficult to admit as it is, has become a driving force for the church in America and it is killing our influence. Let's face it, most churches are boring. They are stuffy. They are even cocky about it. On the other hand, there are many churches that are booming because of their "non-boring" services. They watch movies, have big events, plan controversial sermons.. They have coffee shops, book stores, and gyms... They provide a mecca of "clean entertainment" and "safe fun". Statistically, the number of people coming into our churches is roughly equal to the number of those exiting churches. Why is this? It is because our traditions and institutions are boring and combating this with exciting new ways to attract people is un-biblical. I used to be of the persuasion, "whatever it takes to get them in the door so they can hear the gospel". But, I've since changed my tune. Taking a step back, observing, listening, watching has altered my understanding. And, I am so thankful that God brought down this road of understanding before I ended up repeating the cycle.

Now, don't misunderstand. I didn't say that those "exciting new ways to attract people" are sin. I said they were unbiblical. And, the reason I say this is because of the motive in which they are done. No one has searched high and low throughout scripture to come up with a biblical theology of societal church "offerings". We don't offer them because the Word has commanded it, we offer it because we want to boost our numbers. Even if my motive is so that "more people will come in and be exposed to the gospel" I am still admitting that it is done for numbers. The sin, the unbiblical aspect, of this attempt to combat the "boring" in our churches is because our motive is not scripturally based. Can a church offer these things and still be a biblically sound, effective church? Yes, absolutely. However, I think there are bigger fish to fry.

I heard someone say once, "if Jesus isn't the reason they came, He won't be the reason they stay." We have this idea (which has sadly become our mentality) that people can only be saved in a church building during a church service after some type of presentation. Where is that in scripture? Salvation is by grace through faith alone. It is not by grace through faith in service at church with a prayer card and a friend. Jesus, before ascending into the heavens, gave this mandate: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." How is bringing people to a building the same as "going to all the nations"? The scary (and possibly offensive) truth is that it isn't. How many people do you know were convicted of their sin, received grace and faith, and only then committed to a body of believers? Most of us were either brought up in church, or "saved" in church. I use the word "saved" loosely because we don't really have a litmus test any more for this in America. Paul encouraged the churches to dis-invite unrepentant people from participation in church. When have we ever kicked someone out in the recent years in America because their lives weren't exemplary of a true son of God? We don't do this anymore because we think numbers equate success, which completely opposes the idea in scripture that success is measured simply (and only) by our obedience. Yet, we have not been obedient to this last and great command: Go.

To be continued... "Why did the Christian cross the road?" (Church is Boring, Part 2)

And... "Religious Hot Potato - Pass the Commitment (Church is Boring, Part 3)

**Disclaimer: I don't watch the Simpsons, but found the photo fitting for this blog post.**