Serving by Learning

Over the last two years I have visited many churches and, unfortunately, this seems to be the case.  Many churchgoers simply show up on Sunday, sing some songs, say a few prayers and listen to a watered down version of page 34 of "Our Daily Bread" that the preacher passes off as a sermon.  There is no real Biblical teaching.  Much scripture is misquoted or taken out of context.  Congregants do not take the time to learn about the Bible because no one shows them that there is any more than what appears on the surface.  Most adult Bible studies I've been a part of barely scratch any deeper than the lessons from the 6th grade Sunday school class. 

 

People have developed a sort of folk theology.  That is, “an unreflective believing based on blind faith in a tradition of some kind” (Duvall & Hayes, 2012, p. 27).  It is the stuff of Facebook memes and witty bumper stickers.  There is no real depth, no meaning, and certainly no true understanding of what the Word of God is meant to convey to His church.  It is also a product of a lazy culture.  This is a fast-food world.  Who has time for fine dining anymore?  Give me my daily bread in a bag to-go and do not expect me to put any more effort into it than that.  No thank you, I’ll just have the usual, I do not have time to check the rest of the menu.  People are doing this with the Bible.  They want their snippets of encouragement.  They want the preacher to shake their hand and tell them they are surely going to heaven.  But, once they leave the church, the Bible goes back on their shelf until 9:00 a.m. the next Sunday.  They do not care what is on God’s menu.  They may be true-blue believers in every way.  They say their prayers in the morning, before each meal, and every night before bed.  They tithe 10% each week.  They participate in the food drive and help out with the Easter Passion play each year.  But, where is the growth?  If a Christian is no more than helping out in the community and giving to charity then why not join the Mason’s Lodge?  They pray there too.

Thankfully, there are still good, Bible-based churches out there for those willing to put in a little time.  Faith that does not have a basis for growth is stagnant.  That which is stagnant will surely die.  The Church needs growth.  It needs growth from the inside out, because there is no growth coming from the world into the church.  The world seeks to destroy the church, not nurture it.  We need congregants that are willing to take the time to learn who this God really is.  Who this Jesus really is. What the Holy Spirit really is.  If the congregation is allowed to continue to be increasingly lethargic to the point of becoming stagnant, the church will go the way of the do-do and the passenger pigeon.  It will become one more of God’s creations that man has allowed to go extinct.   

References

Grenz, S. J., & Olson, R. E. (1996). Who needs theology: An invitation to the study of God. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, USA.