When I was a pastor in Montana, a man who had attended our church for years stopped coming. He came by to let me know why (which I respected greatly, since most people just disappear and then get upset when the pastor doesn’t call them to find out why they haven’t been attending). He said that the reason he wasn’t going to attend our church was because we didn’t let God in the door. What he meant by this was that he thought we were quenching the Holy Spirit in our Sunday services.
In response, I wrote and distributed throughout our church a little pamphlet called “Attending the Church that God Does” explaining that if Jesus were walking planet earth today, ours was the kind of church He would attend. Yeah, I think I handled that guy’s departure pretty well.
The ironic thing is that I don’t agree with what I wrote in that pamphlet five years ago. These days, I am finding that to be true of almost everything I wrote so many years ago. (So if you disagree with the content and tone of many of my sermons on this website, you’re in good company — I disagree with some of them too.)
Anyway, I found the following “comic” strip on a blog called Adventures of the ASBO Jesus. The following example is nothing more than a word balloon from God, but what do you think of what this writer has God saying? Do you think God is as bored and tired of our churches as we sometimes are?
I love that. That’s the God that we’re all told about when we’re kids (at least I was). But then we grow up and are told about this completely different guy. I think if churches focused more on the friend God instead of the judge God more people would stick around. Of course, that’s exactly one of the things that some seem so much against.
Why focus so much on sin and hell? You know what the God in that cartoon would say about sin? “That’s ok, try to do better next time.” About me? “Just be nice to him and maybe he’ll come around.” Tragedy and natural disaster? “Is there anything I can do to help?”
Compare that with the answers we actually get. Going to hell. Going to hell. Your fault and you’re going to hell.
No wonder.
And if Jesus were to be walking the earth today, I don’t think he’d be spending a lot of time in any church, much to the chagrin of many.
I have been in several churches that fit the comic strip description.
However, I feel very blessed to be attending a church that I feel Jesus would attend.
Our Pastor, a young man with a family has no pretensions and preaches with no pretensions but an honesty and sincerity in his love for God. Hence, the people that attend portray the same humility and eagerness to live a life of belief without the piety and self-rightousness that so pervades Christianity.
Where is this church.? Glastonbury Connecticut. enjoy the wonderful blogs and soul searching sermons and commentaries.
http://www.NewLife-Glastonbury.org
Ai,
Thanks for the link. I will check it out.
I really do think that churches tend to follow the attitude and approach to life that is portrayed by their pastor. It sounds like you have a good one! Do all you can to encourage him, support him, and keep him around!
You don’t have to conjecture about which church God and His son would go to….you just go there, and see if they are there or not 🙂