Church, Why Bother?

This is the current sermon series we are in at Burlington Community Church. The special interest article, radio ads, newspaper, mailer and flyer distribution brought in an interested bunch of people. What is interesting to me is that this topic has attracted a younger, 20 something group to our first services. It is a group who have watched the previous generation of church goers in Canada fail in some key areas in life. There is also an underlying sense that the church is completely boring and impractical for life. Just this week I had a pretty deep discussion with a lawyer who occasionally goes to church and his wife does not. He said his friends tease him for the few times that he does go which he said is only about 4 times a year. He said he knows there must be more to it and he wants his kids to experience church though he does not know why he is doing any of it.

When I have a conversation like this, it fires me up a little because I know that this lawyer and others like him feel this way because they have not experienced a life giving church. They do not know true salvation and God has not been a part of their lives. It is doubtful that they see church as anything but a place to sit for an hour and feel they have "done their duty" for God this week. They have not seen the body of Christ in action because everyone in the congregation has become self absorbed and selfish about life, friends, and time. Getting to know people and investing in their lives is work and giving of yourself. It is MUCH easier to keep the few great friends and cruse through life.

Meeting people is hard for me because I would rather sit in the background and let others interact. I do not usually feel it is necessary to meet others or insert myself in new situations. I have to force myself to meet people and find out more about them. It really is an act of giving of myself to show interest in people and let them talk. I would much rather tell them about our church then they visit, accept Christ, and commit to ministry. Unfortunately, that is not how it works and it can take months and years for some I meet today to even consider church or spiritual things. Bill Hybles calls this "just walking across the room." We need to be willing to do that and let God lead those interactions.

I have had a steady diet of meeting new people ever since I arrived in Burlington. Our family came up here without knowing a single soul but we know quite a few now. My prayer is that God gives us many more opportunities to meet people and share our faith. It has been an experience and I am praying for God to work through me for His Kingdom.