Bantering with Bali: Reflections on Church Buildings and Poor People
I don't know if this will become a regular feature, but certainly something enjoyable to do today. Bali is my good friend from college who served for 7 years in Detroit, MI with a college/career ministry of a local church. Over the last year he has been in Ireland with Greater European Mission doing some work to assist in church-planting and evangelism in the city of Dublin. He stood with me in my wedding, taught me the intricacies of playing 007 Golden-Eye, and has been a dear friend and brother to me since our time at Moody.
On his blog he recently posted a call for churches in the US to stop being building-centered and using the resources God has given us to build multi-million dollar facilities with all the latest and greatest stuff. His justification of that call was to view the great societal injustices that are happening all over the world, and the calling of Christ upon the church to be the upholder of righteousness and justice for the poor and downtrodden in the world (James 1:27).
I want to raise a question here that sparked my thinking on this (and maybe Bali will jump in and banter with me on this). My question is: if your eschatology (view of end-times) is a pre-millennium, pre-tribulation view of the Rapture, and that is the view of your local church, why would you or your church leadership invest a significant amount of finances to build a church building? If you don't have a view of eschatology or don't know what that even is, answer this question: why do you think a congregation of people should invest a significant amount of money to build a new facility to meet in?
I would encourage you to read Andy's post, and comment on my question. Remember this is not a question about your eschatology - but a question of how does your theology and your practice interact together? Comment away!
4 comments:
I think there has to be some kind of balance [great, here goes Bauer taking the middle ground again]. I think its important to have--or rent or whatever--a facility that can accomadate a congregation relatively comfortably in order to effectively conduct the ministries of the local church. That doesn't mean you need to go all mega-church, and you certainly need to be careful of the lures of all the fancy bells and whistles for the sake of having all the bells and whistles. Real estate can be expensive, that's just a fact. I don't think meeting in an old barn or something is really a workable idea (not that you or Andy were suggesting that). Hopefully all but the most egocentric of pastors and church boards would much rather spend more money on outreach, evangelism, missions, other spiritual stuff than a mortgage, but you need a place for the people to gather safely. Of course this assumes we're talking about churches in America. If you're in Cambodia or something then the situation is obviously much different. I don't know, that's just my two cents. Balance is key.
Why I'm I commenting... This isn't a good idea.
I am one step shy of being a full blown heathen. Most of that is due to me and my soot soaked soul, but I really really dislike the trappings of 'the church' as a building, and 'Sunday' as an affair.
With it comes the desire to play 'dress up Sunday' and 'Monogrammed Bible Monday Meetin'. From that, in my filthy soul state, comes what surely appears like pride to me.
But again, don't listen too closely to me, I'm quite bitter and should probably have just refrained...
Kludge, I think admitting to having a soot soaked soul actually goes a long way into making you the exact opposite of a heathen.
I understand what you're saying, and don't disagree necessarily, but I believe the Bible directs Christians to gather corporately (as in groups, not in business) and whenever people get together there will be those (including myself more often then I'd care to admit) who will put their focus on the wrong things. Whether its themselves and how they and their Bible look, or picking up chicks, or the free coffee and doughnuts (though I think that's unlikely since I hear church coffee is generally pretty awful), or whatever isn't the actual point of church. Christian or not, we're all still sinners. But that's why we need to go to church, whether its in a fancy building or a raggedy old tent. No local church is perfect, but if one is sincerely striving to preach the Word, reach the lost, and minister to the saints, then I think we have to, not forgive or ignore those other trappings, but not let them keep us from participating in that local church.
I hope these two comments of mine haven't made me sound like a Facility Minded Church apologist.
Ando-
I do hear you, but I have to disagree. I find that the distractions of 'the gathered' strip away so much of what 'The Church' as a whole strive for.
I find the entire affair such a turn off, and I'm more than happy not attending church at all. In addition I see zero difference between my life and the lives of my friends who do go to Church weekly.
I'm not really bitter. Just sort of resigned.
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