Far too many 'believers' view the local church like a cruise ship. Once on board the good ship lollipop it's all about SERVICE. how much can i get the stewards to do for me. how fast can they replinish the buffet as i go 'grazing' or make snow angels at the ice cream bar. Passengers are completely being served and doted over. And if they don't like the service or crew they take their money elsewhere and get a new cruise line and stay there as long as that carrier takes special care of them.
A host of 'Believers', not the pre Jesus people, view church as a 'Carnival' cruise liner. They check out all the ammenities- safe preschool, good teen group, new facilities, strong but not too strong sermonettes, personal attention from pastors and can i be a big fish in a little pond. As long as i'm being served rather than expected to serve i'll be happy and keep my family and money here. A tell all phrase is: "it meets my needs." (when people bail on a church you generally hear: "it's just not meeting my needs! or the sermons aren't deep enough!") Can't you just picture Jesus saying that statement to the funky twelve as He's giving them a pedicure? "You lads haven't been meeting my needs!" I think the Master said it in a gospel that He'd didn't come to be ministered unto but to minister. Wow, what a refreshing idea in our consumer church culture.
The issue is this: once you sign up (become a believer) you move from the passenger list to the crewman list. you are no longer one to be served but to do the serving. some people even think they have the spiritual gift of 'being served' but i haven't seen that one unless its in the apocrypha. Therefore i ask, is your attitude and performance at your local church translate into being a passenger or a crewman? Some wise one said you're either rocking or rowing the boat but you can't do both. Which adjective best speaks of you? What would your pastors or close associates say best characterizes you?
The longer we are believers the more we turn inward in our thinking and lifestyle. that topic will be saved for another post later. thanks for visiting padre's place.
A host of 'Believers', not the pre Jesus people, view church as a 'Carnival' cruise liner. They check out all the ammenities- safe preschool, good teen group, new facilities, strong but not too strong sermonettes, personal attention from pastors and can i be a big fish in a little pond. As long as i'm being served rather than expected to serve i'll be happy and keep my family and money here. A tell all phrase is: "it meets my needs." (when people bail on a church you generally hear: "it's just not meeting my needs! or the sermons aren't deep enough!") Can't you just picture Jesus saying that statement to the funky twelve as He's giving them a pedicure? "You lads haven't been meeting my needs!" I think the Master said it in a gospel that He'd didn't come to be ministered unto but to minister. Wow, what a refreshing idea in our consumer church culture.
The issue is this: once you sign up (become a believer) you move from the passenger list to the crewman list. you are no longer one to be served but to do the serving. some people even think they have the spiritual gift of 'being served' but i haven't seen that one unless its in the apocrypha. Therefore i ask, is your attitude and performance at your local church translate into being a passenger or a crewman? Some wise one said you're either rocking or rowing the boat but you can't do both. Which adjective best speaks of you? What would your pastors or close associates say best characterizes you?
The longer we are believers the more we turn inward in our thinking and lifestyle. that topic will be saved for another post later. thanks for visiting padre's place.
