A Little Harsh

Ok, i may have been a bit harsh with my last blog. As i thought about it more i'd like to post an update.

Culture. i think that's what it comes down to - Culture. Churches operate in the culture that they have carved out for themselves. if the culture is one of the people of the congregation control every minute detail and decision, that's the way the church will operate. If the atmosphere is one of support and vision - there you go.

Changing culture is one of the most difficult things in the world to do. it's a slow but sadly needed process in some churches.

Not all churches need the same culture and it would be a sad and boring world if all churches were the same. I'm just wanting the church to be all it can be! we all have different styles and likes and takes but the church is the vehicle God chose to impact the world. it's not a social club or a conscience soother, it's the main tool that can change the world.

Let's be who we're called to be. God has saved us and empowered us and filled us with His vision and gifts and talents to fulfill that vision. Let's roll!

The Good and Bad of Easter

I LOVE holidays! i like the family getting together. i like the significance of why we celebrate. i like the fact that people who don't normally go to church tend to go on holidays.

Easter is an amazing holiday - the resurection of Jesus Christ! we've all seen babies being born, or at least know a couple who were, but a resurection - alive again after being dead. I don't know anyone personally that has done that (other than Jesus). This day alone should be one day churches seek out and go after those who aren't saved. (My hope would be all days are days that churches seek to get people saved, but...)

the church we go to had over 100 salvations this past Sunday - I LOVE it! one guy said the pastor couldn't keep up with the hands being raised. the church we were visiting had 10-20 people give their hearts to Jesus over the weekend. again, VERY cool!

but one thing i saw broke my heart. i was watching an Easter service online and the pastor had a prayer for salvation and i couldn't tell how many raised their hands. At the end of the service, he said they had tried to connect with new salvations in a couple of different ways that weekend and "the didn't really work out." that right there gave me a little alert. then he asked for those who said the prayer to come down to the front to meet him AS EVERYONE ELSE WAS LEAVING. That broke my heart.

Churches try to make "getting right with God" some sort of therapy thing or something that you-could-do-if-you-really-wanted-but-it's-ok-if-you-don't-because-we-don't-want-to-offend-you-or-make-you-uncomfortable-so-we-really-won't-commit-to-anything.

To have people who just made the MOST IMPORTANT decision of their life fight a mass of people going the opposite way is kinda crazy. It does nothing to help the culture of the church to say that salvation is something we thrown in at the very end and all the motion of the room is going towards the back while the new christians are supposed to move to the front.

Every service i've been in the last 3 and a half years at Hillsong and Wave have had an altar call no matter what the message was on or what happened in the service and all but maybe 2 have had at least 1 person, normally multiple people, respond and get saved.

it doesn't seem that hard. i guess i'm just not getting American, seeker-friendly mentality. This is the antidote to the greatest disease on earth - sin. How can we pick and choose when we offer it or make it so non-commital that people aren't sure what happened.

I'm really stirred and convicted of my personal example of this and am making a committment to live what i preach. Please come with me - the world is counting on us.