Is it Okay to Call Church Boring?

“Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a holy and living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual act of worship.” –Romans 12:1

I follow Timothy Cardinal Dolan on Facebook.

           

Before you ask, Timothy Cardinal Dolan is the Archbishop of New York. He said the opening prayer at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions (RNC and DNC) in 2012. His simple yet powerful pleas for God’s mercy and guidance for America was all the convincing this Pentecostal girl needed. I followed him on Facebook almost immediately. Timothy Dolan is an incredible man of faith, and I find his perspective insightful.

           

However, that does not mean I always agree.

           

One of his more recent blog posts, “Boring Mass?” concerns a topic that I’m sure is widespread enough to be at least mildly controversial: Is it okay to call Mass (or church, if you’re Protestant) boring? Well, if the second paragraph where he calls it an “unfortunate and almost sacrilegious statement” is any indication, his answer is an emphatic “No.”

           

I’m not here to argue whether or not it’s okay to call church boring. I can’t think of a single Bible verse to back up my position either way. What I take issue with is what he says toward the middle of the post:

           

“[T]he value of the Mass comes from our simple yet powerful conviction, based on faith, that, for an hour on Sunday, we’re….lifted into the eternal…as we unite with Jesus in the thanks, love, atonement, and sacrifice He eternally offers His Father.”

           

            It’s a good statement. A great one, even. As he says elsewhere, church isn’t about us; it’s about God. It’s about praising God for what he’s done for us, for what he’s brought us through. Yet I would add another bit: It’s about praising God for who he is.

            If you’ve been in the church for any length of time, you may be nodding in agreement. We praise God for being God, not just for what he’s given us—although he has given us quite a bit. But who is God? What is God like?

            These questions may seem elementary, but I believe we need to ask them because we often forget the answers. As Dolan mentions in his blog post, it’s easy to make church about us. It’s easy to get caught up in the music and the stained-glass windows and the pretty flowers on the altar and forget that those things are not why we’re there. To figure out why we are there, I think it would be useful to look at who God is, as evidenced by what he’s done in the past.

            God has….

           

·      Brought everything from pine trees to platypuses into existence with a few words (Genesis 1)

·      Made the sun go backward as a sign at a king’s request (2 Kings 20:8-11)

·      Comforted a suicidal prophet after his biggest victory (1 Kings 19)

And those are just a few examples from the Old Testament. In the New Testament, where God himself walked the earth as a human being, we see even more evidence of God’s nature when he chooses fishermen and tax collectors to be his closest followers. And if John 20:3-4 are any indication, these men had more than a few friendly competitions going:

“So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to the tomb. The two were running together, and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first.”

Think about all the friendly arguments Peter and John must have had; how many times they must have sat together after a long day’s work when one of them mentioned the empty tomb. “Yep,” Peter would say, “and I got there first.”

“No way,” John would reply. “I was first!”

“Psh, yeah right. You just keep on thinking that, Johnny Boy.”

“You’re just jealous because I was first.”

Jesus chose them to be his disciples. You might say he chose them in spite of their goofiness, but I like to think it was because of it. I think a God who can create parrots and manatees with a word is fond of jokes.

And that is where I both diverge from Dolan’s opinion and agree with it most. Church should not be boring, because church is about God, and God is not boring. However, we shouldn’t choose one hour per week to be “lifted into the eternal as we unite with Jesus in thanks.” Our relationship with God should be constant. It should be the focus of everything we do, not something we observe on Sunday morning.

And since this is God we’re talking about, there is no reason for it to be boring.

“And do not be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” –Romans 12:2

An Unlikely Teacher

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways~ Haggai 1:5

 Bianca D. is not someone I have ever actually met, but she is someone I know a lot about.  As well as her name and city of residence I have learned that she…

Has some fairly liberal political leanings  

Purchased furniture recently  

Likes animals 

Has an active social life    

Struggles with commitment issues  

 Before judging, you must understand that I did not acquire this information as a result of my naturally inquisitive nature. I learned all this because Bianca D. passes off our phone number as her own to everyone she meets in Southern Arizona.

Over the last two years I have fielded countless late night phone calls from the lovestruck men she meets in bars. There have been some snappish exchanges with the manager of the furniture store where she “purchased” her sofa and the garage where she got her car worked on.

 On a more cheerful note I have had some rather amusing conversations with the volunteers from the animal shelters and political organizations that she has made pledges to. Bianca D. is a big-hearted girl who really needs to work on her follow-through when it comes to charitable donations.

Yesterday’s call was a robocall from a bill collector.  A robocall is when a computer-generated voice calls from a number that appears to be a local cell number.  When you answer, the computer politely invites you to return the call so they can make arrangements with you to collect their debt.

The relentless nature of these calls is wearisome. There have been days where we have gotten up to three calls from the same company at all hours of the day and night. The logic behind these tactics is maddening. Is anyone actually naive enough to believe that someone who would knowingly welch on a debt would go to the trouble of calling an 800 number to make arrangements to repay it?  I think not.

Yesterday I was cranky enough to return the call and let the company know in very clear terms how felt about Bianca D. and their nonstop attempts to reach her.

I informed the nice man on the other line that…

I am not Bianca D.

I have never met her.

I do not wish to receive any more phone calls for Bianca.

Bianca D. is probably not the kind of lady who was likely to return their calls.

Once he understood that I was indeed who I said I was, he was much more eager to end the discussion. When the conversation ended, I still had some things to say and no one to say them to.

So I started thinking. In the beginning my musings were less than Christian and entirely focused on my vexation with Bianca D and her ne'er-do-well ways. I was and continue to be seriously irked with that woman for skipping out on her obligations and creating unnecessary drama in my life.

And then it occurred to me. Bianca D. is not the only one who has been guilty of generating drama for others. It’s a crime we are all guilty of at one time or another.  I have never knowingly lied about charitable pledges, welched on my financial obligations or given fake numbers to unsuspecting men in bars. 

  I have, however…

Willfully involved myself in affairs that are none of my concern~ Proverbs 26:20

Acted selfishly~ James 3:14-16

Repeated things that should not be repeated~ Proverbs 17:9

Spoke too quickly~ Proverbs 18:13

Used words that hurt rather than heal~ James 1:26

All of these offenses appear on the surface to be less mean-spirited and spiteful than Bianca’s financial and relational shenanigans. In reality they are just more socially acceptable than Bianca D’s antics.

I am amused at how God works: a woman of rather questionable character whom I have never met has taught me some important lessons and reminded me of some hard truths. Bianca D. has shown me the importance of thinking before speaking, and to seriously consider all potential outcomes of my actions. Her lack of consideration has reminded me that we are all connected and that every action, no matter how small or seemingly inconsequential, has an impact on others.

Bianca D. is an unlikely teacher, but an effective one.

She is also welcome to use a different number.

   

Be very careful, how you live—not as unwise but as wise~ Ephesians 5:15   

The I in Community...

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching~ Hebrews 10:24-25 NIV

I am blessed with a close friend who is exceptionally bright and well read. She and I can converse on nearly any subject. On the rare days we are lucky enough to spend an afternoon together, we break out the coffee and cookies and proceed to cover just about every topic imaginable. Our chats have a definite pattern to them.

We begin by catching up on trivial matters. We compare notes on books we’ve read, discuss the activities of our husbands and what our kids are up to. The subject of kids inevitably leads to gossip concerning whom our kids are interested in at the moment and whether or not we think it might be serious.

 Once we exhaust the trivial our conversation inevitably drifts towards the political. We delve into political policies, the economy, how we feel about the president, which candidates we hope run in the next election and the mess in the Middle East.

Eventually we weary of solving the worlds’ problems and our conversation turns to Church and spiritual issues. We discuss sermons we’ve heard, things we are learning and what’s going on in our respective Churches. Whenever the subject of church comes up, certain topics tend to get hashed and rehashed.

Community is one of those issues. Community is a critical aspect of Church that Christians long for but seldom find. Absence of community is one of the primary reasons named for leaving local congregations. The model for healthy church community is presented repeatedly in the New Testament. Acts chapter two gives us the most detailed description of the ideal Christian community…

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved~ Acts 2:42-47 NIV

I am convinced that friendships built through Christian community are the key to healthy spiritual growth. Without a strong sense of community, personal spiritual growth is stunted and congregations wither from the inside out.

Absence of community in a local congregation is as much of a personal issue as it is a church or societal issue. As individuals we often make decisions and foster habits that prevent the growth of intimacy within our churches. I have concluded that there are three habits that prevent the growth of Christian community.

 Absence of community begins with…

Refusal to deal with our personal junk~ Colossians 3:5-11

Colossians 3:5-11 gives a list of behaviors remaining from the old way of life that we are told to kill. Included on the list are sexual sin, prejudice, lying, slander, rage, malice (meanness) and foul or careless use of language. As unalike as these behaviors appear to be on the surface, they share one critical commonality: They all produce conflict and prevent healthy relationships from forming. Healthy community begins with healthy people who are intentional about dealing with their own personal demons. 

Intentional Isolation~ Hebrews 10:25

According to the Gallup organization, 77 percent of Americans call themselves Christians. A study published in 2005 in The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion found that only 17.7 percent of Americans attend church on a given Sunday. There is a huge disconnect between what we claim to be and what we actually do. The early Church built community through consistency in meeting together. We will never have the type of Christian communities we long for until we are willing to consistently drag our hindquarters out of bed on Sunday morning and meet with God and His people.

Harboring offense~ Colossians 3:13-14

 Proverbs 18:19, tells us that there is nothing on earth more obstinate than one who has been offended. That truth is proven in the fact that more Christians leave their local churches because of a personal offense more than any other reason. The sin of harboring offense makes relationships impossible, and relationships are the key to creating community. Like it or not, we are going to spend eternity with our fellow Christians. Eternity will be a lot more fun if we learn to let go of the petty grievances now.

In recent years there has been a sharp decrease in Church attendance. In an attempt to lure people back into the fold, leaders have attacked the problem with coffee bars, shallow preaching, fog machines and cool music. Perhaps the problem could be solved with something much more basic: healthy functioning community.

Healthy community begins with healthy Christians who are actively dealing with their junk, eager to make an effort to connect with others and prepared to forgive petty grievances.

 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity~ Colossians 3:12-14

  

Hard Places

The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace~ Psalm 29:11

Little children, the changing of seasons, random acts of kindness, summer sunsets, love, warm cookies, art, desert rain and friendship are just a few of the little things that make life beautiful. These simple blessings remind us on a daily basis that God is good and life is worth living.  

As delightful as life on earth can be at times, no rational being would argue that it’s always easy. Even under the most agreeable of circumstances human existence is filled with a number of pesky little reminders that even the luckiest among us reside in a fallen world.

 At some point, we all experience bad leadership, aches and pains, mean people, mortgage payments, unfairness, wrinkles and traffic jams. It’s these garden-variety irritations and countless others that fill us with hope that there is more to our existence than what we see.

Then there are stretches where we experience situations that go above and beyond the routine hassles of life. Those situations are the hard places. Hard places are difficult and painful life conditions that threaten to undo us emotionally and spiritually. Examples of hard places would include…

Financial devastation

Loss of a child or spouse

Divorce

Betrayal

Persecution

Chronic illness

Not long ago I was overly focused on some personal frustrations and annoyances that sometime feel harder than they really are. In the midst of a whiny rant concerning the injustice of life I came across a Scripture that is a letter from Jesus to a group of Christians. These Christians were coping with a reality so difficult and painful it makes my personal problems look like a trip to the ice cream shop.

The short letter opens with this spine-chilling acknowledgement:

I know where you live—where Satan has his throne~ Revelation 2:3a

Pergamum was a really old, really affluent, picturesque Roman province. The followers of Jesus in that beautiful old city experienced persecution so harsh, extreme and widespread that Jesus referred to the place as the throne room of Satan. The Christians there were called to live for God and love people into the Kingdom of God in a place where Satan always had the home field advantage. 

  The never-ending harassment they endured created a nightmarish existence that resulted in countless acts of personal betrayal, job losses, financial devastation, and the gruesome deaths of some really good people.  It was the hardest place your mind can imagine.

Jesus gives the beleaguered believers in that city some encouragement and counsel that is for anyone, anywhere who is facing any type of hard place.

Jesus wanted the believers in Pergamum to know that he saw and understood what they were suffering. His message has not changed. Jesus wants all who are experiencing any type of hard place to know that there is nothing that happens in this world that goes unnoticed by God. He sees what you are going through, he cares deeply for you. He takes notice of your pain and the sacrifices you are making on his behalf.

God wants His people in every time and place to understand that our hard places are about more than survival. They are about learning and growing. Hard places are about casting off our old sinful ways of looking at and dealing with life. They are about growing in our knowledge of God. Hard places have the power to enable us to see life and eternity the way God sees those things. Hard places have the power to make us more like Jesus if we let them.

At the heart of Jesus’ message in Revelation 2:12-17 is a call to overcome. He calls us to sidestep the desire to give up when our going gets tough. He calls us to overcome the temptation to compromise on issues of right and wrong in our hard places. He calls us stand firm in the belief that there are better days coming for the people of God. He calls us to overcome our hesitancy to act as witnesses to those realities in a world that is hostile and blinded to truth.

The reward for overcoming is huge. Overcoming is about far more than a ticket to heaven. Overcoming draws us into a closer, more intimate relationship with Jesus.  Overcoming increases our wisdom and knowledge of God and Scripture. Overcoming opens door for an increase in our spiritual power and ability to pass on faith and truth to others.    

Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith~ 1^st John 5:4