Drew Marshall Rings a Bell

It's not quite fair to describe radio talk jock Drew Marshall as "controversial". A better descriptor might be "plain-spoken", if not "out-spoken", with the caveat that not everyone appreciates those qualities. We have many things on our agendas here in church-world and brutal honesty is very seldom one of them.

Anyway.

Drew has been paying two non-Christians to visit a number of churches and report on their experiences. It's fascinating stuff. Darryl Dash has the highlights and links to the blog of the church visits. Well worth the time and effort to read through it all. Here's the bottom line: non-Christians know the real thing when they see it. The rest of us? Totally clueless. Well, the rest of us still going to church, that is. In the last few years I've been surprised at the number of mature, faith-filled Christ followers I've met who have stopped going to church altogether. All of them are simply unable to buy into the insanity of the church culture anymore. Surprisingly enough (or not) all of them work in ministries to the homeless. Go figure. One church n particular that the writers visited caught my eye, a church whose marketing tagline is, "A church for people who don't like church". Really? Let's see, there's someone at the front door to greet folks and give them a bulletin. There's a pastor who is the front man for the big show. The pastor preaches a sermon. Ther'es a worship band. there's an offering.  The church meets every week on Sunday morning. Everyone sits in rows facing the front. I could go on but I won't. A new, hip vibe isn't a new way of doing church. Ooooh, we've got chairs with cup holders! Ooooh, we've got a video production team! Ooooh, we're on the internet! Could we be any more oblivious to the insanity of it all? Money quote from one of the church visitors:

"I had a little problem with their arguments involving material goods and our “media saturated culture” as they make their Sunday services available on your 80Gb video ipod.

We've all done it, haven't we? Someone explains why they don't go to church and we say, "But our church is different!" Guess what - it's not. This is exactly the same thing I see from the emergent church movement as well - we're hip, we're postmodern, we have coffee and wi-fi but, um, we're still a church. Go ahead, meet in a cafe. Meet in a century old church with soaring arches. Light candles, have art, do world music, blog. We've changed the language, the music, we do alt dot worship and we've become impeccably cool, but we're the same old, same old stuff. Why? Because there's a big building with a big room that we all go to once a week. Until we get our heads wrapped around the death of the auditorium then 'missional' is just another word. At the very least, can we agree to stop talking about being a missional presence in our community while sitting in a church that we couldn't possibly walk to, a church that we couldn't attend with out driving across the city? The death of urban cool might not be a bad idea, either, but I'm afraid real change won't happen until it's cool to not have an auditorium to meet in, a statement that is every bit as true as it is sarcastic.

For reasons that even I don't understand, I've been serving as an elder in our church. I really believe God wanted me here, but have no idea why (yet). Our church has all the same flaws that I've already mentioned, and some that I haven't. What I've learned is that churches are complicated, unwieldy beasts with multiple layers of politics, history (personal and corporate) a diversity of theological stances on any one issue, petty ugliness and occasional glimpses of poetic beauty. It is possible that church can indeed propel good folks in their journey with Christ, can help to mold and shape them, can even liberate them. Friends - true friends can be found. Real ministry - in the finest sense of the word - can and does happen, but all of these things seem to happen in spite of the organization and not because of it.  Good, bad, ugly, beautiful - church has it all. It's just that we absolutely must not mistake going to church for following Jesus.

Comments

[amber]

"but all of these things seem to happen in spite of the organization and not because of it"

I couldn't agree more.

[Tonya]

Thanks for another hit of the truth.
Blessings.

[Mary]

"Here's the bottom line: non-Christians know the real thing when they see it. The rest of us? Totally clueless. Well, the rest of us still going to church, that is."

Well said. Hungry people want real bread and only need a minute to smell what's cooking at many churches these days. If only we'd listen.

[Dustin]

What you speak of is the institutional versus incarnational understanding of the Church--the problem is, as you have alluded to, we've become comfortable with being an institution.

[Vanessa]

Thanks. I sometimes think I am over the edge as I try to make sense out of the circus type atmosphere that surrounds "church" and that does include the "new" "hip" "emergent" churches as well, as you pointed out. Buildings and programs and cool technology and relevance...??? Church has to be more than organized, recreational, entertainment centres. ORECs as some like to call them. We are the Church.
In Him,

[[rhymes with kerouac]]

Amber - Yup. I have such mixed feelings about it all. Often I see that the ministry happens as a result of one person simply caring about another, but then realize those two never would have connected if it had not been for "church".

Tonya - Sometimes I could do with a little less truth. This is beginning to tire me.

Mary - I think you've hit upon an essential truth... Long ago we stopped being truly hungry.

Dustin - Exactamondo. ;)

Vanessa - Much of what we call Christianity is, in fact, Christiantainment.

[grace]

Rhymes,
I loved this quote:

"Until we get our heads wrapped around the death of the auditorium then 'missional' is just another word."

I definitely agree with you about good things happening in spite of the organization.

Most people have no ability to even see the things you are describing because we they are so traditionally and culturally ingrained in Christianity.

[grace]

I think the we/they is a freudian slip. We are they, and they are us. :)

[[rhymes with kerouac]]

grace - Actually, I kind of liked the we / they thing. I may steal that!

[Steve F.]

"In the last few years I've been surprised at the number of mature, faith-filled Christ followers I've met who have stopped going to church altogether. All of them are simply unable to buy into the insanity of the church culture anymore."

I'm right on the edge of becoming one of them myself. In fact, your post inspired this post: http://ragarambler.blogspot.com/2007/07/unable-to-buy-insanity-of-church.html

But these words of yours should be inscribed over the door of every church: "we absolutely must not mistake going to church for following Jesus."

On the inside, AND on the outside.

And, for what it's worth, I could do with a little less truth some days, too. But if I have to hear truth, I'd rather hear it from you, brother. Your writings bring forth the heart of this tale...
http://ragarambler.blogspot.com/2005/12/naked-truth-wrapped-in-storys-robes.html

Peace,
Steve

[NaNcY]

nothing is without flaws in this life.
it would be wonderful to me to meet on a beautiful day in a circle of people and just pray and praise and read the word for as long as we wanted and then go home. no events, no babysittng, no sunday school, no buying snacks, no building or restrooms, no sunday dress up, no missions, anyone come and anyone go. no time to stand or sit. no band, no special singers. just one day...just one blessed day.

[AJ]

"In the last few years I've been surprised at the number of mature, faith-filled Christ followers I've met who have stopped going to church altogether. All of them are simply unable to buy into the insanity of the church culture anymore."

I hear where you're coming from... i guess I would question the "maturity" of this choice, though, since the New Testament is forthright about the necessity of God's people living in community. Going it alone because most churches suck doesn't seem to be a NT option. i've been involved in several churches, none of which are sterling examples of missional authenticity. i'm not sure i see how either i or those churches would be better off if i'd just dropped out, though... maybe i'm missing your point here.

[[rhymes with kerouac]]

NaNcY - I think what you may be looking for is called "Simple Church".

AJ - You've raised a very valid point - as believers we need to be in community with one another. (You didn't miss the point at all) I'm just no longer convinced that the only model - or even the best model - for that community is the institutional church. I also suspect that our current church model bears no resemblence whatsoever to the NT church, but I don't think anyone has really explored that topic.

[Anna]

I've read two books recently that both include a theme of forming a new sort of church structure: small groups of about 8 to 12 people, intimate with each other, praying and worshipping together, somewhat like Nancy imagines. One book is written from a Catholic perspective, aimed at reforming each parish to include these new "church" groups: Creating Small Church Communities by Arthur Baranowski. The second book is not Catholic, but has the same idea towards the end, that God is reforming us into a new way of doing "church", involving small, intimate groups. It's called Waking the Dead, by John Eldredge.

You mentioned yourself in an earlier post about having a feeling relating to doing church in a new way. This small groups thing seems to be what others who have felt that way have come up with.

[Benton]

Your post got me thinking. (Kind of scary!) 1) I had a liturgics prof who said that the proper size of church/congregation would be able to have all people in the sanctuary for one service without the aid of amplification. When you went to two services, you had two congregations. 2) I know of a church in Michigan that worships around a meal, yes, actual food. And they radically work toward acceptance. (There is a MtoF Transgender woman on the board and many GLBT people in the congregation. There are also straight people, homeless people, homed people, etc...

[Tara]

"PROPS"...I serve in a church that I know that I am called to, I serve in a ministry that I am called to be in....NOT liking it very much sometimes...BUT I am there. I want to see and feel and touch Jesus...even if He does come in the form of an 80yr woman handing out hugs at the door or a single dad struggling to raise his kids alone. What we need is **emergent hearts**and **emergent minds**.I am guilty of saying it..."MY church is different"...Love this...

[[rhymes with kerouac]]

Tara - Well said... Thanks!