Why do churchgoers rush out the door after church? (Duties discharged—I'm on my way.) Why don't we stay and talk to one another? Are we so caught up in our personal universes that we can only spare a meager hour for God and His people? What makes us so uncomfortable in the House of the Lord?In the culture today, finding a sense of community and belonging can be very difficult, and the majority of Americans somehow don't expect to find it in church. I find the widespread lack of sympathy disturbing. Does anyone else?
Make no mistake: the primary purpose of a church is to worship and serve the Living God. However, an indispensible component of serving God is treating our fellow human beings well. In the words of Christ: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto Me." As believers, we are the body of Christ, made of disparate parts, but designed to function harmoniously. God has no patience with elitism and what James calls the "respect of persons." The value of a person cannot be based on his financial or social standing. The local church ought to be a place where anyone can find sympathy, compassion, and life-giving counsel based on the Word of God.
Sometimes Christians are shy and afraid to reach out, and then they blame other Christians for "being cold" toward them. Proverbs offers some excellent advice. "He that hath friends must show himself friendly." Selfishly, we often seek not so much to understand as to be understood. As humans, we feel our own need for sympathy so deeply, but others' rather slightly. Loving others means being aware of the needs of people around us, and attempting to serve those needs whether we feel like it or not. It means being a giver and not a taker—characteristics of a mature individual. Are we up to the challenge?
Do you think strangers likely feel welcomed at your church? Within the circle of believers, there should be time set aside to consider how to offer hospitality and fellowship not only to one another, but to strangers in our midst. Hebrews 4 reminds us, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for some have entertained angels unaware." In the book of the Acts of the Apostles, the Bible says that "God added daily to the church such as should be saved." God brings people to church through various means, and we become part of God's work when we reach out in love to those who seek Him.
On a slightly deviant, yet related point, I think church leaders should be aware that age segregation has succeeded in depriving us of some of the richest expressions of human culture. We miss so much when we avoid the cross-pollination of age groups: the seasoned perspective and unique wisdom of seniors, the brightness and enthusiasm of youth. Successfully integrating people of all ages greatly enhances the socialization experience for everyone.
Certainly, the future of the Christian church depends on our ability to reach out in love, both to fellow Christians (our brothers and sisters) and to strangers and seekers. We not only represent Christ to the world, we are called to be Christ's Body and function as His hands, His arms, His feet. We, therefore, must love as He loved.
UBI caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.
Congregavit nos in unum Christi amor.
Exultemus, et in ipso iucundemur.
Timeamus, et amemus Deum vivum.
Et ex corde diligamus nos sincero.
3 comments:
Interesting post. One idea might be to post a weekly greeter at the door as people come into the narthex. The pastor might ask the congregants to greet the people around them. I have mixed feelings about ushers escorting people out row by row or whether every one can leave on her own. There are lots of Biblical passages about greeting each other.
Thanks for posting this.
I would agree that age segregation is a mistake. There is so much we could learn from the experience of older members of the congregation, and so much we can learn from the young as well. I like the idea of having small groups within the church that are perhaps based on geographical location (within 10 miles) not age or marital status or any other category. Just church members who live close and can get together outside of church.
Small groups are a must for personal and spiritual growth!! There is no accountability or encouragement in a worship setting where you show up and worship separately, then rush out your separate ways.
The small group issue is one Jeff and I have thought about for some time. Thanks for a thoughtful post.
I just wanted to put in a plug for my own church. I think the core of faithful members at Pilgrim Lutheran are stellar in their character and their care for what happens in church. I so appreciate being part of a loving community of believers who support me in my work and value my efforts, and I want to cherish them in return. I love "hanging out" with people over 70!
It's mostly the people my age and younger who come in to church looking as though they'd rather be somewhere else, and don't stay to fellowship afterward. That's discouraging for me in some sense, since I'd love to have some decent friends my age. If you're reading this, please stick around!
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