I have completed my eleventh month at my church—serving as senior pastor. The experience of leading this congregation has been quite conventional with few surprises. The church has maintained or slightly increased its levels of attendance and financial support. Ministries and programs have continued with little change. Any stresses has generally centered on the typical—marriage counseling, conflict management, occasional misunderstandings, and the like. As a pastor serving a congregation of about 375 people, I should be rather content.
Content, yes—in a way I am. But that’s the problem. God did not call me to be content with the status quo. God did not call me to manage programs—to manage a business like McDonald’s, where there is predictability, efficiency, quality of product, and routine. These attributes are not, in themselves, wrong or evil. But, they are not producing biblical disciples. The consumerism mentality of our culture has been embraced by the church. We want everything perfect—the perfect and predictable worship service, the efficient and quality ministry program, and the routine of the weekly schedule that will meet “my” need. Don’t misunderstand me; God is not pleased with sloppiness, laziness, and disorder. But, I think in our desire to effectively compete in the marketplace of advertisement, consumerism, Hollywood, sensuality, and materialism, we have somehow marginalized the necessity for the Holy Spirit and God’s Word. The results on the soul have been disastrous. There has been a clear disconnect between what we say we believe and how we live our lives. Statistically speaking, there are no real differences between the actions of people in the church and outside the church. Something is very wrong.
I might sound like a “Chicken Little” and crying “The sky is falling, the sky is falling,” but, there are real challenges facing the church today and we must be honest and open about it. The message of Christ has elements of mystery, paradox, and discomfort. Being a maturing follower of Jesus is not easy—and cannot be easily packaged. The church has to be more about the power of God’s Word and the guidance of His Spirit, rather than sharp, professionally produced worship services and ministry programs.
The church today is facing big issues: declining national church attendance, rejection of the church by young adults, marriage breakups, pornography addictions, and a continued marginalization of God’s Word and Spirit. I conclude with Jesus’ words: Matthew 7:13-14 (NIV) “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.”
