We locked the doors

By the Rev. Billy Turner

I read a couple of completely different pieces of information on the ol’ Internet highway this morning. But they are related, I believe.
First, I read a very smart piece talking about the growth of the “nones,” that group who are saying they have no part in religion, at all. It’s not just they aren’t interesting in coming to church, or a field, or a brook. They don’t care at all.
Then I read a funny little piece called 10 things that Christians get mad about and probably shouldn’t.
1. Loud music; 2. People using I-pads instead of real Bibles; 3. Coffee in the Sanctuary; 4. Youth group attire; 5. Long sermons; 6. Church parking lots; 7. Pastors asking for money; 8. Women in leadership; 9. Overly happy greeters; 10. the much feared meet-and-greet.
The two have some connection, I think. But let me clarify first that I believe anyone can worship any way they so choose. I believe in loud music, people using whatever device or mechanism they need to read the scriptures, and I see nothing wrong with wearing whatever you want in church and drinking coffee while you’re doing it. That’s me. I completely understand others who don’t agree with that, and that’s fine. It really is.
However, what I do think is that we all have to take a deep breath and understand that once we become a disciple of Jesus Christ, our job, our mission, our commission is to bring others into the fold. We must recognize and respond to the fact that what brought us in x number of years ago, might not be conducive to doing that now, at best, and might indeed be prohibitive to those who are being sought by the Lord.
Here’s some personal categories of churches I’ve seen or heard about:
1) They want what they want and what they want is what has always been. They are where they are in terms of growth, and if anyone else wants to join, they join with the understanding that this is a traditional church and it will always be one.
2) They’re very interested in growth, but, man, it’s hard to get used to all the new things. Still, they’re interested.
3) They’re ready for anything, actually welcoming in seekers.
I’m not judging any of them. Just saying.
But there is a whole new world out there that we’re facing now that in many ways we’ve never addressed before in the Christian church.
And that’s the none.
That’s the person and/or persons who don’t care at all. It’s not longer believe or don’t believe. They’re not atheists. They’re not lost sheep wandering around looking for the shepherd. They’re not necessarily anti-religion as they are apathetic-religion.
That’s a whole new Diet of Worms if you get my drift.
Will it help if we match music to demographic and neighborhoods? Yes. Will it help if we allow use of phones and tablets during church, even encouraging texting and such? In the right environment, yes? Will it help if ...
Whoa, Romeo.
I believe that those folks out there that say the church has lost to sports and to recreation and to sleeping in on the weekend and to apathy in general are missing the point of all this.
We the church have broken this. The vehicle was supposed to be able to stop on every corner and open its doors and carry us all toward Him.
Instead, we’ve locked our doors and made it self-contained.
Our job is to give up on what WE want and try our best to pray the resolution to the question, “What do YOU want?” Do you honestly think it was easy for Peter to say to Jews who had been raised one way to drop it and follow?
Of course, not. But look at what happened. Three thousand joined the movement that wasn’t even a movement yet.
With that kind of power coursing through our spiritual veins, well, someone who isn’t so apathetic that they can still be moved might just see who we are more than hear what we say.
That’s our mission. And it is possible.

Billy Turner is the pastor at Eunice First United Methodist Church, and he has a daily blog called That’s Life at billyssaints.blogspot.com