Close Your Church for Good, Chap 4, Sec 2. In the previous post, I suggested that the main reasons pastors do not want to cancel their church services is a fear of losing control and power. At least, this was my fear when I was a pastor.
Oh, and note that I am going to start including some questions at the end of these posts to encourage your feedback and interaction. One of the reasons I’m writing a book online is so that I can get input and suggestions (even criticism) as I go along.
For people who are helpful in this process, I will send them a FREE digital copy of the book once it is all finished. This free book will work in your iPad, Kindle, or any other digital reader.
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I don’t pretend to know the hearts and minds of all pastors and church leaders around the world and throughout time. But from my own observation and from my reading of church history, it seems that my experience is not unique. Generally, our motives are sound; we want to help people. But many of us believe, deep down in our core, that the best way to help people is to control them. And the easiest way to do this is to get them to come to church on Sunday morning. We tell people they must attend church because we want to control what they believe and what they do.
If you want to assess your own heart in this matter, all you have to do is look at what feeling emerge when it is suggested that you cancel your Sunday service. What thoughts immediately pop into your mind? What are your objections? What are your fears? If they are fears of losing your job, thoughts of losing prominence in your town or among your peers, or objections that people need you to guide them, it may be that you are afraid of losing your power and control.
In such cases, we must begin to practice what we preach. We tell people that to defeat the power of money, they must give it away. To overcome eating, practice fasting. To begin working out, start slow. The same advice goes for the areas of power and control. If we are addicted to power and control, we must give it up. We must get out of control.
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What do you think?
If you are a pastor, what are your concerns with cancelling your church service? If you attend church every week, what do you think would happen to you emotionally and spiritually if you did not attend church every Sunday? Would this be liberating or damaging? Why?
Jeremy, I’ve been attending the same church for over thirty years. In some ways I think I would feel a renewed sense of freedom. Honestly, I probably go to church more out of a sense of duty than of worship. There are definitely times when I wonder if I spent the 2-3 hours serving in the community if it would be more beneficial to me and to society. I do believe that it is important to be built into people’s lives that they’d miss me if I didn’t show up. How would we be living stones built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood if we did not gather together? (1 Peter 2:5) Tim Keller talks about this in this sermon: http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/gospel-church-and-world. I suppose we can do that on our own. Is it easier or harder to do in church?
Tim,
Great question about 1 Peter 2:5. Maybe I will try to include a short section on it in the book. We’ll see if it fits.
I would not recommend serving your community on your own in isolation. God never intended that for us.
If a church decided to go out and serve their community on a particular Sunday instead of meet for singing and a sermon, they might in fact bond together in a deeper spiritual way than is currently happening.
I like Tim Keller. Thanks for the link. I will try to listen to the sermon soon.
Jeremy,
Tim gives not only a good question and bible verse, but he also submits a good link. I just listened to the entire sermon and would like to hear what you would have to say after listening to it as well, particularly as it relates to what Peter was trying to say in 1 Peter Chapter 2.
Thanks
I admit I have not listened to it yet. I rarely have time to sit at my desk and listen to a sermon, and right now, I have no way of playing audio sermons when I drive to work. But I will see what I can do.
I hear ya, Bro. I teach high-school, and stay busy myself. I worked in the industry for 15 – 20 years putting myself through college to be a teacher. The whole time I thought teaching was Monday through Friday, out by 3:00pm, no work on weekends or summers, and boy was I in a fantasy world – ha! It’s cool when, or if you get a chance.
Take care!
i have had those thoughts before but trying to control people is witchcraft and God is there for people no pastor has the time to be able to help everyone out and be a good husband and father to his kids at the same time. Pass the knowledge you have if they walk away then fine. God builds his church not me.