Games, Gimmicks and Good Gravy

I've heard of a few gimmicks about getting people to come to church recently. It sort of gets my blood pumping when conversations start about it, so what better place for me to lay it all out there, but here....my beloved blog. ----and Warning 1- it's all over the place!
I've heard people say things about youth groups that offer pizza, candy, giveaways and other "bribes" to get the teens to come to church. I've heard about churches giving away TVs and cars and gift cards to get people into the doors of the church. Here's my take on it....and (WARNING 2) you're probably not gonna like it.

I think it's sad. Good gravy! I think it's shameful. I think it's absolutely embarrassing....but for reasons other than the obvious. In Bible times people came to hear Jesus for all different reasons....some just wanted to be healed...they had no other purpose, had no idea what He could really do for them. Some were skeptics and went to see Jesus so they could prove Him wrong, they had no idea what He could really do for them. Some came because they were invited....or perhaps someone came because they heard that He might feed them....He had turned the water to wine and multiplied 5 loaves and 2 fish- maybe they came thinking they might get something to eat. Some came because they had a loved one who needed healing. They had heard about Him and wanted to see if He could do the same for them. Anyway....it wasn't important why they went....many of these people were change forever- eternally- because they came for the wrong reason.

So, I don't really care about what it takes to get someone inside a church to hear God's Word. What I do care about is why it is necessary. 2000 years since Christ came, shouldn't the church (in general) be doing an extraordinary job of sharing Christ, being His hands and feet, loving on people, meeting the needs of the poor and sick and hurting ...that people are wondering what is different and we then lead them through the doors of the church to share with them this wonderful, fulfilling, healing, comforting relationship that they can have with Christ too? Shouldn't our lives be different enough that when someone comes to the place that they realize they are empty and broken, that they know they can come to us and we will share the answer- JESUS- with them?

I don't know about you, but for me, the sad part about the gimmicks used to draw people into church, is that it just shows that Christians aren't doing, being and living out our faith. If we were, people would be wondering in amazement about this JESUS we say we love. They'd be curious that we could forgive so easily, love so freely and be so generous. They'd be knocking on our doors asking for directions. Times is too scarce to worry about how we are getting people into the church. Make haste! Start living out your faith...don't wait til Sunday or Easter or Christmas to invite someone....they may look at you like they are surprised you even attend church. Do it now....live it now...talk it now...be the church...at home, work, play, school. We have the antedote to sin....share it however you have to.

Don't worry....any games we play have already been played. Daily in most of our lives....old habits, addictive behaviors, gossip, lying, cheating, tearing down the church, envying the size 6 figure of another woman, yelling hateful things to our spouse. I don't know....just seems like there's more game playing going on with people personally that we don't have a lot of room to be pointing our fingers at the church.




PS- I've personally been involved in the lives of many people who came to church because we gave them food. I'm convinced that if the church was busy taking care of the widows, orphans, impoverished and indigent that God would bless. Obedience to His New Testament Commandments would make National Healthcare, Foodstamps, Medicaid and other government assistance programs unnecessary. ---and we would be filling our churches with changed lives....people who understand their need for Christ and His Bride.

Stepping off the soapbox.

Fired Up!

Ok, so seriously, since I started blogging I have kept my opinions to myself...but a girl's gotta say what's on her mind every once in a while and so here goes:

In my inbox everyday I get at least three of four emails from Christian or Moral type groups that monitor the state of the morality in our country. Today's email was telling me to write a letter to a TV network regarding a particular tv show that was offensive. Each day I get ads forcasting the decline America will experience if such and such is elected. Sometimes the email is from a someone just making sure I know what a crucial election this is and that the future is looking like heck if Christian don't stand up for what we believe.

STOP THE PRESSES~

I have had enough. I am sick of spending time arguing over the issues, debating how we are going to make it when SS fund have run out...and all the other topics of deliberation for this election.

This is what I think....pure and simple. If every person who has a relationship with Jesus Christ, would spend their time striving to be truly moral...honest, loving, kind, pure, holy, and further more instilling those same virtues (by example and the spoken word) in our children, then we wouldn't have to worry about the future. We could be a little more sure that the hands it was going to be in 20 years from now, would be moral and upright.

By no means do I believe every kid would turn out to love God and their neighbor, but there's a way better chance than if adults sit back and do nothing. I really have struggled with letting my voice be heard. I get entangled into the arguements and debates like the rest. But the bottom line is this: my kids are the next generation of Americans. If I am expecting anyone else to instill morals, godliness or the Bible in them. I am fooling myself. It's my job, my responsibility. My priviledge. That's how I want to spend my time. TV isn't going to get better. Sure we may make temporary changes to a line up until producers have a different angle to get the same message out. I just think Christians can find better things to do...like feeding the poor, clothing the homeless, teaching a Bible study, sharing God's love with the unfortunate and investing some eternal time into our own kids....not passing it on to the church as their responsibility. So...do a Bible study with your kids, teach them the books of the Bible, do the TeamKID worksheet, and talk about what it means to have a relationship. Get on your soapbox about that...and maybe in 20 years we will see a different America!

OK...I'm finished for tonight!