A Perception Problem
The church has a serious perception problem. I posted last week that the enemy is us. I think some of the comments really proved the point I was trying to make.
I just don't think we can afford to point the finger at the unchurched and say what's wrong with them. The real question is: what's wrong with us?
I was surfing www.bloggingchurch.com and the dynamic dou of Brian Baily and Terry Storch cite a statistic that is pretty mind-boggling. According to the latimes.com, a recent national poll found that just 17% of adults view the local church as essential for developing faith.
17%? Are you kidding me? Can you say perception problem?
Maybe we've been answering questions no one is asking?
Maybe we've been focused on what we're against for too long?
Maybe it's time to touch lepers, confront Pharisees, wash feet, cry like a man, throw a temple tantrum, pray all night, go after lost sheep, befriend prostitutes, take up our cross, resist temptation, believe for miracles, lose our lives, and storm the gates of hell.
By the way, you change the perception of the church one person at a time.
I just don't think we can afford to point the finger at the unchurched and say what's wrong with them. The real question is: what's wrong with us?
I was surfing www.bloggingchurch.com and the dynamic dou of Brian Baily and Terry Storch cite a statistic that is pretty mind-boggling. According to the latimes.com, a recent national poll found that just 17% of adults view the local church as essential for developing faith.
17%? Are you kidding me? Can you say perception problem?
Maybe we've been answering questions no one is asking?
Maybe we've been focused on what we're against for too long?
Maybe it's time to touch lepers, confront Pharisees, wash feet, cry like a man, throw a temple tantrum, pray all night, go after lost sheep, befriend prostitutes, take up our cross, resist temptation, believe for miracles, lose our lives, and storm the gates of hell.
By the way, you change the perception of the church one person at a time.
7 Comments:
i posted along this theme earlier today too... http://emmsy.wordpress.com/2006/05/26/lose-the-junk/
I think it's time we lost the junk that clutters our way to Jesus... what if we recaptured the beauty and the simplicity of simply loving the unloved?
Mark,
We have spent too much time fighting with each other about nothing while the world sits back and watches.
We also spend too much time "preaching to the choir" while the unchurched go unloved.
It's time to buck the systems of the religious and do like Jesus would do.
Buzz on brother!!
Mark... My comment in your "Enemy is Us" post shows that I agree that the church needs to sharpen up on A LOT of stuff to start doing their job. And my comment in your "Third Place" post still stands that we need to quit saying "church" when we are referring to either a "service" or a "building." My guess, though I could be wrong, is that the reason only 17% felt the local church was essential for developing faith is because they were thinking "CHURCH = SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE" rather than the relationships, accountability, and prayer support of the Christ followers within the building. Because we keep saying things like "come to church," or "my church," etc... the world thinks of the church as a location, a club, an event ... and that is our fault since "ekklesia" knows nothing of that. So I agree that we need to look inward, and perhaps start with our vocabulary.
My only point of disagreement is actually not a disagreement as much as a clarification. As you can tell from above, I am huge on the "say what you mean... mean what you say" concept. You said "I just don't think we can afford to point the finger at the unchurched and say what's wrong with them." Point of clarification. While I understand your point that they are not to be blamed for our laziness and slothfulness ... we DO NEED TO POINT AT THEM AND DECLARE WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM ... in my opinion. One of the detrimental effects of the church growth concept is a fear among pastors and Christians to show unbelievers that they are lost in sin... sin that God holds them responsible for. We are scared to boldly tell them that they are under God's curse. We fear what they will think of us more than fearing how God will hold us responsible for not being truthful. I look at Jonah's experience in Nineveh ... a sermon of one sentence, "40 days and this city will be overthrown." And yet it was effective I think simply because Jonah was FINALLY obedient to simply say what God told him to say.
I spent 10 years as a professional ocean rescue guard and learned a very simply principal in the 1500+ rescues made over my career... You can't rescue people who don't realize that they are in trouble. I would swim out and tell people that I was there to help them and offer them the rescue buoy. This offer, more times than not, was turned down initially because the person had no clue they were trapped in the currents. But once I would point out the danger they were in and how the rip current was pulling them out to sea, it was amazing how quickly my buoy became ATTRACTIVE and RELEVANT to their lives. One of the ways we will make the gospel relevant to the lives of people is by showing them WHY they need it.
Great point Lane.
Mark
Bingo, Lane. You're helping me big time, my brother.
Well, I grew up in the church, I go to church at least once a week, and I would not consider myself part of the "17% of adults [who] view the local church as essential for developing faith."
I like your action plan, but not your reason. In fact, I'm not sure any of those faith-building things you cite requires "the local church" either.
It's not about the church.
It's about whether or not we are living by faith.
What is "essential for developing faith" is time in the word and in prayer. Insofar as one does those with other people at church, then the church is helpful.
Tim
10,583 days
Tim,
Well said.
I think I'm using "church" in the sense of "a place where a culture is created that produces the kind of disciples who change people's negative perceptions by living out their faith day in and day out following in the footsteps of Christ."
Mark
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