Today, we head to one of the area’s larger churches. In the past, they had a visible presence, but I’ve not heard much about them recently. Their website boasts that we’ll find “a warm and friendly group of people.” I bristle. It’s like telling someone you’re humble or you’re honest: if you have to say […]
Church Services Have Become an Event, With Consumers Who Come to Watch a Show Today’s churches contain two types of people. And each of us fits in one category or the other. We are either performers or spectators. If this seems callous, consider that we live in an entertainment-centered society. We watch TV, go to […]
Do Sermons Belong in Church? We go to church to learn about God, right? So sermons belong in church, right? Who told you that? It was likely the minister at your local church. That’s who I’ve heard it from, and church is always the place where I heard it. Isn’t that self-serving? Think about it. […]
Learn How to Eat Spiritual Food and Feed Yourself The author of Hebrews (who I suspect was Paul) warns the young church, the followers of Jesus, that they need to grow up. Though many of them should be mature enough to teach others, they still haven’t grasped the basics themselves. They persist in drinking spiritual […]
We attended this church years ago. This won’t be a visit as much as a reunion. It’s a familiar place. Consider these four discussion questions about Church #44: 1. The building is twenty-five years old and well-maintained. Too many church buildings show neglect, repelling people instead of inviting them. What are some low-cost ways you […]
Discussing Churches 14-26 For the past twenty-six weeks we’ve sought to expand our understanding of how others worship God. Consider these two discussion questions about the second part of our journey: 1. I now realize that church is not about the teaching or music. It’s about community. How can your church foster community and promote […]
The Bible Should Inform Our Actions, Not Justify Our Habits Christianity has its traditions and religious practices. We often persist in them with unexamined acceptance. And if we do question our behaviors, we can often find a verse in the Bible to justify them. But that doesn’t make them right. The Lens of Scripture We […]
Carefully Choose the Messages You Hear I listen to a lot of podcasts each week. Since I work at home and my wife doesn’t, I often eat lunch by myself. This is an ideal time to listen to podcasts. I also listen when I take my daily walk—at least each day when the weather is […]
Embrace the Benefits of Meeting Together When we can’t attend church, to meet in person, and must experience a service online, does that count as going to church? The essential parts of the service are the same. There is music, a message, and a prayer or two. F or these three key elements, the result […]
Ideas for Having a House Church Over the years there have been times when I couldn’t go to church. I’m not talking about the Sundays I was ill or traveling. Instead, I’m referring to times when the church canceled its service. These have included weather-related problems, power outages, no heat, and construction issues. Each of […]