Walking around a new town and listening to new people inspired a motivation in me when I became a wet-behind-the-ears, never-before- pastor in this very established western town. I had this ambition: move the Church into the community. I heard phrases like, "That Church up there"; and "Those people." It was very important to seed the organic Church into the life of this town. In large part this has worked well -- in fact very well.
Two and a half decades later I face another challenge. I'm probably not alone in this -- in fact I know I'm not but the issue is mine as much as the first one was. In the olympian endeavor to regularly gather the people of God on Sundays so often I find on the winners podium competitors such as family; such as sports and entertainment; and such as jobs. Today's problem is not so much about getting the Church into the community, but to get the saints into the Church.
When you wander around western Canada, especially in heart-throbbing beauty of Alberta there is a consistent picture in almost every small town. Right smack dap in the middle of that cloister of elevators, Coops, Chinese restaurants and the like is a recognizable building -- a church. The name on the sign is not so important here, but what it stands for. To construct a church in the middle of a community is sending a message: Everything revolves around the Church!
When God established the Israelite community He made church the encampment surrounded the Church -- the meeting place of God -- the Tabernacle. Numbers, chapter 2 describes this arrangement.
Today, there is a proliferation of families whose lives revolve around the family. Family life might be the greatest form of idolatry in the Church today. In fact I've experienced the kind of explanation that forces me to assume that it is totally acceptable to absent oneself from meeting with God's people as long as your chosen activity is family! Of course where family seems to be the new fair alternative, work and sports come a close second (but usually these choices still are argued in support of the family.)
Now we all know the push-backs: Going to church doesn't save you. You can be a Christian and miss church. It's just a church; I can worship God at the lake. But what are we going to do with Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)?
25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
How are we going to skate around this one? I think with great admiration when I recall how my parents handled the Lord's Day. I used to think they were Sabbatarian extremists terrorizing the only day I had free to do as I wanted. Today I rejoice in God's grace that He brought me into a family that thought such archaic things like: A. It's normal for a Christian family to go to Church, twice on Sunday and a few times through the week; B. It's normal for a Christian family to utilize Saturday night to prepare clothes, food and whatever else so that we are ready for Church; C. It's normal for a Christian family to seek out a congregation of God's people to worship with while on holiday; and D. It's normal for a Christian family to expect friends and family to understand their Church priorities.
The beautiful synergism of the early Church was that they considered meeting together with other believers central to their daily activities; and this fueled their zeal that drove them "outside of the camp." The joy was “... the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47, NIV).
Jim
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