Needs?

Reading a new book by Craig Groeschel entitled Confessions of a Pastor: Adventures in Dropping the Pose and Getting Real with God. There are lots of blog topics upcoming as the stuff in there is provoking a lot of thoughts.

Anyway, this one came up because someone was telling me why they've chosen to attend another church in our area. It happens all the time in our circles...some family comes to your church because they had a beef with their previous one and some folks go to other churches because they had a beef with yours. You get used to it, but it's never easy hearing someone be all excited about their new place when you're still pretty excited about their old place.

Coincidentally, later that night, I read Mr. Groeschel's thoughts in his book, which took place after the guy that delivers the packages to his church informing him he'd finally found a church after an extended look because he "finally found a good church" that "met his needs." Here's the quote:

"Why would I shudder at that statement? Think about it. I've heard it hundreds of times: I'm looking for a church that meets my needs.

Can you admit for a moment how incredibly unbiblical that statement is? When did we, as Christ followers, start to think that the church exists for us? When did we forget that we are the church? And that we're here for the world?

Before I was a pastor, I sued to think that church should serve me, unitl I let God change my attitude. I was a taker, not a giver. I wanted a church that provide what I needed. I was the spiritual consumer--an observer, not a participant.

If that's you, let me encourage you to stop observing and get in the game. Reach out. Use your gifts. Give recklessly. Serve passionately. Make a difference. Love those whom others reject, even those that aren't like us--especially those who aren't like us. Love not only nonbelievers, but also 'second class Christians.' Jesus did; so should we."

Now, don't get me wrong. In my conversation with the family that left our church there was no anger or bitterness on either side. In fact, I was thankful for their honesty and thought their reasons for making a change had some validity. We're friends.

And I do think Mr. Groeschel's words are extreme. "Unbiblical" is strong, for example. And I wonder what Paul would've said to us in our American church subculture with folks making their choice of churches based on the various church options they have...

...or, interestingly, what he would've said to all our churches about the various options we provide for folks.

But there's an undercurrent in the quote about spiritual consumerism and self-focus and such that I'd really enjoy hearing what you have to say.

*opens The Diner late, but pours coffee and waits just the same*