Who We Are

A couple thoughts from the congregational meeting this morning --

There was some discussion regarding worship. Dave Kurschner brought up the challenge of, how do we start on time (i.e. 10:30)?  That is a challenge.  I'm sure there are Sundays when Dave or Pastor Brett feel like this video.

However, on a more serious note, my mind thought of something I read years ago in a book called I Sold My Soul on Ebay.  A former pastor (Jim Henderson) "bought" this man's soul and asked him to visit a number of churches (Jim assigned them) and then asked for feedback.  This is the feedback from one church he visited in Illinois (it was a Free Church actually).

"When the band started playing, it was just after the 8:30 start time, but there were fewer than forty people in the church.  But by the time the band had finished and the pastor got up on the stage, the crowd had more than doubled in size.  I noticed families with young children walking in without any visible indications of guilt.  I wouldn't think the people at this church were purposely rude, so they must have had a good reason for showing up late.  Was the music so unimportant  to them that they decided to come only for the 'main event'?  It that's the case, is church like a movie theater where you can walk in after the previews and no one thinks anything of it?  I've always thought the previews are vital to the movie experience, though, just as I would assume that singing is important to a church service.  Furthermore, in a small community church such as this one, I imagine people would know one another better than at a larger church.  The people in the congregation, therefore, might know the people on stage who were singing and would surely respect them enough to show up on time.  I didn't see that respect being shown, though."

Remember folks, this comment is from a guy outside the Church.  Not from a pastor or worship leader.  Although he comments about respect for the worship team - and that is worth mentioning.  I think more important, is that we realize God inhabits our praise.

A second thought occurred to me as Pastor Brett reviewed his past sermon series.  He just finished up on Community.  Recently John Ortberg was interviewing Dallas Willard who mentioned two key reasons for going to church.
1. To find people to love.
2. For people to love us.

Think about that.

Not everyone is very lovable.  We are to love them anyway.

And, many of us are tough.  We're self-sustainers.  We don't need help.  We don't need love.  Actually we do.  That's the Church being the Church.  And if you're not allowing love to be shown to you.....well, you fill in the blank.


My two streams of thought from this morning.