Kinda makes me want to barf
I pledged NOT to whine on my new blog, so I'm going to tread carefully. But then again, I have a sense today of what Jesus might have felt when he walked into the synagogue and through a hissy fit at the marketers.
$25 million. and a lot of change.
That is the estimated total of new building construction of churches in the metro area, according to an article in today's paper. And it was only a handful of churches. Add to that a dozen others who are in big building campaigns.
$10,000,000 here
$2,700,00 there
$9,000.000 over there
(can you count all of those zeros?)
They call these new church buildings "front porches" with mall-sized food courts (how intimate), workout areas and full sized gyms. They are equipped with the latest (for the next six months) technology gizmos, in their "living rooms" ... where unchurched folks who would never step foot in a "church" might come ... to work-out, eat and be wowed ... and maybe find Jesus amidst their "experience."
I buy that it's an approach that has met with success. Mega-churches are everywhere.
But, more and more, while our own congregation muddles through an identity crisis that is wrenching my heart ... I ask whether there's a better way?
I have been reading about a simple way. In fact, I've been transforming my heart and mind and approach since I read Shane Claiborne's book, The Irresistible Revolution. And also have read more clearly the words of the New Testament. (I've wasted a lot of time not reading what I've been reading all of these years, if that makes sense).
Stan and I have had his (Claiborne's) thoughts for a long time, but have been too complacent, and not nearly as versed in the Word or as matter-of-fact as he is. For one thing, we have questioned whether we are supposed to be a literal Acts 2 church ... All the believers were together and had everything in common. "45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,."
Commune living!
I suppose you can eat every meal at your new $10 million church building ... instead of getting folks on your own front porch and then into your kitchen to break bread.
But if you now work out and eat at the church, where do you meet new "unchurched" people?
Just confused ... I don't want to pick on anyone. It is just a bit appalling to read about $25 million spent on convenience buildings where on another page we read about one little law student here in OKC staging a protest to help those in Darfur. (How many folks will be exercising in the spacious new facilities at the new church buildings when that's going on ... she mused as she sat on her can in front of the computer screen). And when we have dear friends scraping together every penny to bring home orphans from Rwanda. Babies and toddlers who spend day after day staring at the ceilings of their crowded room. And here down the street, where kids will never have an opportunity to be "welcomed" to any of these new suburban churches because the Joy bus isn't running.
Posted in: on Saturday, April 28, 2007 at at 11:42 AM
