All About People

Toward the end of my time as an Evangelical, there came to be a strong trend toward treating church members like consumers.  Surveys, consultants, long deacon meetings, new policies, changes in everything from nursery decor to preaching style took over the life of the church.  Willow Creek was in full scream.  It was all about people, the people in the pews and the people you hoped to get in the pews.

All this focus on me, me, me, didn't make me feel cared about.  I long for the immovable in my faith, and at that moment everything was negotiable, even the theological identities that had originally defined each body of believers.  We were all going to community churches for a while there.  It still feels odd to see a trendy church with a traditional identifier like Baptist.  All the trends were worthy of trying, and ears hearing the gospel because the snacks are good--I have to say it worked for my father.

The problem is by focusing the church on the "seeker" the focus is on the least holy, wise, experienced person, and letting their lack guide the church's abundance.  I believe in the communion of saints, so for me there is no idolatry in turning to the holiest, wisest and most experienced part of the body for advice and direction.  There is an optimism about human potential in Christ that is expressed by believing in the saints that is lost in some Christian communities.  Conversion is less of a beginning and more of a simple membership.

Yesterday during Religious Education, we focused on the saints, exploring the ancient past and the surprising present in books, online, and with a game.  It was so exciting to discover what God had accomplished through all these believers, and to talk about the good they can accomplish in our lives.  I've always longed for older siblings and here in my faith I have thousands.