ramblings_of_jc

The Consumer Church

Most of you have heard me rant and rave about the whole idea of American churches being nothing more than corporations trying to sell Jesus (and many not even that - they just want to sell their church) to people and as soon as the "sale" is done they want to keep them happy enough to keep coming back and shopping again and again. And I still rant about that though I recognize more that I'm still part of the problem.

I grew up in a Mega_Church and even the church I attend now is "large" by most standards and functions with a lot of Americanized corporate consumer-oriented crap, but my talking about it doesn't really do anything. Because in a lot of ways that enviornment is still "comfortable" to me. It's easy to go to church for a few hours on Sunday, casually say hi to some people I know, then go home grateful that I didn't have to struggle to help and pray with someone and their problems, that I wasn't brought to tears in burden over the lost, that I didn't find myself moved in worship to the point of spending the next 3 days in fasting and prayer just because I want to be with my Maker and not have distractions.

All this boils down to the fact that God is most definitely still working on my stubborn heart to teach me to love and live in community, and that ranting about corporate churches doesn't accomplish much if I'm not willing to love people in my church and be in community with them no matter what the size of the church.

This post was inspired by Alps (see link to side) who has found a church in Oregon that focuses on community and their pastor wrote this article about this issue. I recommend the read. Grace and peace from our Lord Jesus Christ.

posted by jc @ 9/17/2005 12:04:00 AM