Can You Have a Church Without Jesus?
Passing along this thought provoking post from Jared at the Gospel Driven Church...
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We want to go to a place with ample parking that hands us a latte for free as we enter the doors. We want to sit in a comfortable chair that vibrates. We want a poppin' band. We want to see fog. And a laser light that draws the shape of a cross in the fog. We want a good singer to sing comforting things to us as we listen admiringly. Then we want an energetic speaker to alleviate our fear of the bad economy and inspire us in no more than 20 to 22 minutes. Then we want to leave without being bothered, have our retinas scanned to pick up our kids, and watch them slide down the slide out of the Kidz Playz having heard a lesson from no less than SpongeBob SquarePants himself on obeying parents and not lying. And if we feel like it, we want all that all over again in a week. That's evangelicalism.
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When it comes down to it, it doesn't really matter if we have a rockin' band that playes the latest chart topping songs on the Christian Music charts, or that the preacher keeps you on the edge of your padded pew. What matters is that we are at church because we desire to meet together in the presence of God to worship him. Sure, it is important for us to encourage people in their gifts and abilities to enhance the services.
My great-grandmother kept a diary of her life. I have a copy of it and I read from it from time to time. She tells of God moving in the little log church they attended, including a New Year's Eve service with 20 saved. God moved in that little 28x28 log church with only lanterns for light, a wood stove for heat, no song books or piano (and might I add no padded pews or indoor restrooms). I think sometimes we depend too much on the modern inventions of man and how they can enhance our church experience. These things are perfectly fine as long as we continue to depend on God and come prepared for worship.
All too often we enter into worship with the wrong motives. We want to be entertained, or we expect to hear some message that will make us feel good, or we attend our of a feeling of duty. Let us pray in preparation for each corporate worship service and invite Jesus to be there.