The Church

Over the past several years, I have visited LOTS of different churches. Churches of all shapes and sizes and denominations with all different types of people. All have their good and bad qualities, and I know there's no such thing as the perfect church, but I'd have to say that the vast majority seem to have it all wrong. The focus of so many churches seems to be attracting people. And they will go to great lengths to make themselves attractive to the world, even if it means looking more like the world than like Christ. They want to entertain people, to make them feel comfortable, even to impress them. And they do an excellent job of this. A lot of churches are good at 'doing church' and making people feel good. But there's something missing in all of this.

I've been reading the book 'Radical' by David Platt, in which he talks about how we've so intertwined Christianity with the American Dream that a lot of American Christians don't know the difference.

About America's churches (his included) David writes, "But what is strangely lacking in the picture of performances, personalities, programs, and professionals is desperation for the power of God. God’s power is at best an add-on to our strategies. I am frightened by the reality that the church I lead can carry on most of our activities smoothly, efficiently, even successfully, never realizing that the Holy Spirit of God is virtually absent from the picture."

We're not dependent on the power of God. We've created such comfortable lives that we don't NEED him. We can fool ourselves into believing that we're living a Christian life when Christ is not even a part of it. It's frightening, really. Are we really this blind?

I'm not sure what the answer is here. It's something I've been wondering for a long time. What does a church of God's design actually look like? Where can I find one? Or better yet, how can I help my church to become one?

We need to be desperate.

We need to make room for God.