I need to go to bed. But I wanted to dust off an age-old thought before I do. What if church were no longer dependent on a building? What if we as Christians saw our place of meeting and communing with other Christians as not having to take place inside an establishment but rather right in the world where the people really need to see it?
And then take it a step further. What if our church services consisted of real "service" to a dying world. What if we met Sunday mornings at 9am (or Saturday night at 10pm, it really doesn't matter), in some café, listened to somebody preach out of the word and then together go and practice what we just heard preached.
Of course this kind of "church" would be impossible in large congregations unless the split up into smaller groups in order to do their Sunday "service". Each group could have a goal that was important to them. Have a project, which the felt God was leading them to.
Perhaps it would be necessary to come together once a month for fellowship in a big group, to share experiences and encourage one another. And to make sure that these big fellowship meetings, were not just a time to consume burgers and fatty chicken, the church would need a pastor to facilitate spiritual conversation. Not that he would run around and make sure everyone was talking spiritual stuff, but that the people would at least be clear about why they were there; to encourage each other in their individual ministries and gain insight into the larger picture of God's marvelous work among them. If these big meetings never happened, the small groups would run the danger of taking themselves too seriously and then getting all pissed off at each other, because that's just what people do if you leave them long enough in a group alone together.
What if church could look something like this? I know some people are doing just that. I'm just wondering why everybody's not doing it! Currently most churchgoers attend something called a church "service" every Sunday. I believe the term Church Service gives itself away. We should actually be serving God, but truly we are serving our church, which has, if we are honest with ourselves, become more important than God's service. God Service looks more like street work, giving hope to the hopeless and all those other good sounding euphoric things. It's even worse in Germany. In Germany they already say "Gottesdienst" or God Service, but we have come to serve the church instead of God. Wrap your brain around that one if you can.
The Church is the bride, the body of Christ and is not to be seen as an end in itself, but rather a means to a deeper understanding of the indwelling Spirit of God in People, Society and the world. I think if we are really going to transport this message to the unbelieving we need to be where they are as Jesus was. I never liked going to places like Home Depot until I had a home and realized how useful and cool all that stuff was. Why should we expect really lost people to come to a church that offers them tools for a life they couldn't give a flying rats a.. about?
Don't get me wrong. People do come to the Lord. But most young people (over 90%) leave the church and their faith after going to college. Why?! It has nothing to do with their real life. Unlike Jesus, we are too afraid to party with the drunks (while not getting drunk of course ;-)), and too clean to kiss the dirty homeless kid on the cheek.
I know I'm setting a bar pretty high. Talking about social work and stuff. But Jesus describes social work as being the job of Christians not social workers! It's just our desire to be comfortable, which makes us feel good about having a strong social system (now I'm talking about Germany. A strong social system is something America doesn't even dream about). I think in this regard, American Christians have an enormous chance. In America there is real social poverty, things for Christians to do right outside the door of their homes. Germans have to actually sometimes walk, bike or car to the next neighborhood. It's a real hassle. Or maybe you'll even have to contact your local city youth league or something and actually get involved with something that isn't church founded or led. I know that's pretty scary, but whom are you serving? God? Or your Church? If it's your church then you probably tend to only do the things, which they already organized for you. Stop that! It's ridiculous! There are good thinking people in the world that already invented the tire. Don't go make a "Christian" one! Instead thank God, the creator of all humans, that he would give even pagans’ good ideas! After all, He lets the sun rise and fall on the good and the bad. He lets the rain come for those who believe and those who don't.
This opens a door for a whole world of new stuff. Think about it...You wouldn't need to learn how to "convert" anyone. You would just be challenged to get in the world, live in it, and challenge other people to think about their lives and their motives for living. Consequently like Jesus did.
For example you could get into a good conversation with the guy who made the tire (see above example). You could let him know how incredible the idea is. Then you could ask him if he saw a correlation in his tire making to the creator aspects of a loving God, who also created him. If he said no, it wouldn't matter. You could go on to tell him the story of how you see similarities between himself and the God who you met who also created you. You could have the freedom to talk with him without a tract in the hand. Just be yourself and let the overflow of your heart speak. You wouldn't have to worry about inviting him to a church, which coincidently, has nothing to do with his present life. Instead the church would already be where the tire-guy is.
A professor of mine, and many others before and after him, have tried to teach the masses how important it is to live mindfully in the presence of God at all times, to see God in the ordinary. To create sacred place there where you are.
Take off your shoes! You're standing on Holy Ground...
