Our family has been visiting a lot of churches lately. We've probably visited over a dozen churches in the Atlanta area - ranging from small to the mega. But, one thing about all these churches is that I'm so bored when I go to their Sunday services. Yes, they have upbeat worship music. Yes, their teachings are all Biblically correct. Yes, the people there are sincere. But for me, I am bored out of my mind. It's almost like everyone is just playing a part on Sundays. People all put on their happy faces and file in mass into a large sactuary. If someone asks you "how are you?", you're suppossed to dutifully say, "fine" or "good". But, if you're a visitor, you'll be lucky if anyone says anything to you. Then sing some songs. Then listen to the pastor give a speech. Then, if you're lucky, partake in communion, which comprises of a small piece of cracker the size of my pinky fingernail and a small thimble of grape juice. Then throw in my visitor card during the offering, which nobody yet has ever called me for follow up. Then we all quietly file out and go home.
Is this what church is suppossed to be? Personally, I don't think so. Yet, all the churches I've visited are exactly like this. When I look around at all the attendees, I see no hint of complaint. Maybe everyone else is happy and content with how the Sunday service operates, but I'm not.
But, I'm not visiting their small groups you might say. True, but I think I'm seeing it from the same perspective as an unchurched person. And if I'm not attracted to churches, why would an unchurched person be attracted?
Well, what am I looking for then?
I want a place where the teachings are relevent to life. It's grounded in the Bible, yet applicable when I walk out the church doors. I'm not interested in just a one-way communication from the pulpit, but a dialogue where I can get to ask questions. I want teachings that can affect my work, my family, and the people around me. I don't necessary want the pastor to do all the teachings either. It should be anyone who has the gift of teaching, and sometimes the pastor just doesn't have that gift.
The biblical exegesis and hermeneutics should be done at other times like a Wed night or a morning Bible study. I don't need the pastor to prove to me he can study the Bible, I primarily care about teachings that I can apply to the real world.
People should be allowed and expected to pour out their burdens to each other. A lot of weight can accumulate over a week, and Sundays would be a good time to let it out and have others pray for you. If someone has a happy face on, then that person had better have a good testimony to share, or else take off the mask.
It should be a time to confess sins and ask forgiveness for each other. Husbands and wives should be able to resolve differences and start fresh for the week. A good time to do this would be communion. And since when did we take wine out of communions? And let's increase the proportions of cracker and wine by at least a factor of 10.
During the singing time, let's expand our repetoire. Add some Christian country music, blues music, soul, jazz, classical, opera, whatever. Let's try to get a little more diverse than sing the same type of music over and over. And instead of always singing songs in major keys, let's sprinkle some minor key music too.
To me, the main action is in small group dynamics. More time should be spent getting people to talk to each other, ministering to each other, listening to each other, praying for each other. Most of the time should be in small groups, not in listening to a sermon. At least 30 minutes should be allocated for small group ministering. 15 minutes max should be enough for teaching.
After church, it's required to eat lunch with someone else in the church. The ideal situation is if the church offers lunch, then everybody can eat together.
If anybody finds a church like this, please let me know.
