Worship Church Membership And Committment

Heart Convicted

Much of modern church life today, is characterized by a lack of commitment on the part of the membership. Sure people are joining churches. Some simply want a special comfortable place that they can attend on Sunday to hear a good sermon. If they are adults they don’t mind the odd social gathering. If they are ‘youngish’ with a family they want a nice safe place with lots of kids-friendly activities. You know something like one of those chicken nuggets outlets with a mascot with a bright red nose.

What they do not want is to be made to feel uncomfortable; like you are trying to disturb them and prick their consciences or something. They do not want to hear about the starving people in Africa. For heaven’s sake, don’t we have enough hungry people on the streets of our communities. Enough already!

Worship is supposed to be a Happy Place. They come every Sunday for a filling. They make it clear they are there to feel good. And trust me, they have very discriminating taste. They shop around – just like they do for the best gas prices. And they know what they want too. They want louder music, more anointing, and lots of vibes flowing. Yea that’s the spirit moving right there. Keep massaging that ego-spot. Can’t you feel the love?

And they are the first to ask, what’s that about the queer guy being in our church? Did you say that teen had an abortion? Some still shun single-moms and lament at their awful kids and dysfunctional family. Thank God, our family is not like that! Sure we worship together but its not like we are ‘together’ cause we don’t mix with certain people.

Today, the fastest growing seem to be big on diversity. Aren’t those multi-ethnic people pictures on their church website precious. Awwww. They think the church photos are so cool. Sunday night news brings a dose of reality. What’s that about Obama being Black? Who are all those Middle-Eastern terrorists? Why are those Asians taking our freaking jobs? Who remembers that these are the same people of the world for whom we intercede during worship. Who knows what a Prayer of Intercession or the Prayers of the People is all about anyway.

This is the church to join. It’s a beautiful place to be. And the pastor knows just the right inoffensive words. And he (we don’t want no she-pastors around here!) doesn’t pressure us to do anything you know. We don’t have to even be baptized – or any of that deep-heavy-way-out-serious kinda stuff, you know. So we are happy here.

Welcome to the church where worship, church membership and lack of commitment is seeing church membership records explode. Its called modern and easy church growth, fueled by contemporary worship without commitment.

Are you in one of those happy comfortable churches where you feel no conviction to commit your life to doing something more? Well I’m not your pastor, so I can afford to tell you the truth.

If you are comfortable in your church and feel no demands or sense of conviction to do something more with your life, and to make a difference in the lives of others and in the world then you need to either quit that happy place or seriously start to read your Bible and ask the Spirit to speak to and breathe life into you. To quicken your sense to hear the call to move from comfortable to convicted and then to obedience to allow your life to actually mean something. You’ll be truly happy when you learn how to say, “Lord use me!”

I don’t know what’s with me today. I guess I’m just so tired of all this boringly nominal Christianity being bandied about as Church.

Oh please!
Marvia