Today’s Readings: Psalm 22:1-31; Isaiah 49:1-7; John 2:13-22; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9
In the 1990’s a trend started within many of the mega-churches in our country. In an attempt to meet every perceived need of those attending, they started bringing in goods and services for their members. This was an intentional part of their growth strategy. Some churches, for instance, would bring in bookstores that sold books and a variety of religious goods. Other churches then went the next step and brought in coffee shops so people didn’t have to stop at Starbuck’s on their way to church. As someone who LOVES his coffee, I can certainly understand the appeal of such a decision! All of this, however, created an atmosphere of “one-stop shopping” in some of our churches that went unquestioned for over a decade because – from all outward appearances – such an approach seemed to work. The mega-churches grew like wildfire during the 1990’s! But does just because something “works” mean that is a healthy spiritual approach? I would say no. Today’s reading from John raises the question about what is/is not a healthy approach toward building spiritual community. In that passage, Jesus made it clear that there were more important things than simply the wants of the individual that should drive the life of a faith community - the primarily thing being the integrity of the house of worship. As you look to create spiritual community in your own life, what are you looking for? Are you looking for a “shopping mall” that can promise to meet all of your personal wants, or are you looking for a place that helps you connect with God? There’s an important difference between those approaches. Til next time…
In the 1990’s a trend started within many of the mega-churches in our country. In an attempt to meet every perceived need of those attending, they started bringing in goods and services for their members. This was an intentional part of their growth strategy. Some churches, for instance, would bring in bookstores that sold books and a variety of religious goods. Other churches then went the next step and brought in coffee shops so people didn’t have to stop at Starbuck’s on their way to church. As someone who LOVES his coffee, I can certainly understand the appeal of such a decision! All of this, however, created an atmosphere of “one-stop shopping” in some of our churches that went unquestioned for over a decade because – from all outward appearances – such an approach seemed to work. The mega-churches grew like wildfire during the 1990’s! But does just because something “works” mean that is a healthy spiritual approach? I would say no. Today’s reading from John raises the question about what is/is not a healthy approach toward building spiritual community. In that passage, Jesus made it clear that there were more important things than simply the wants of the individual that should drive the life of a faith community - the primarily thing being the integrity of the house of worship. As you look to create spiritual community in your own life, what are you looking for? Are you looking for a “shopping mall” that can promise to meet all of your personal wants, or are you looking for a place that helps you connect with God? There’s an important difference between those approaches. Til next time…
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