Opus 2011-191, Church Hoppers

Last week we had a “Stump the Pastor” service.  We were invited to bring any questions we might have and fire away.  This works well at this church because not only is the pastor a devout believer, but he is a real scholar.  He has a garage full of books.  He has read them all.  He remembers what he reads and processes it.  It is awesome.  And, yes, I have told him to his face.

One of the concerns that came up was the number of visitors that we have each year and how few of them stay.  They seem to enjoy the service, promise to return, walk out the door, and are never seen again.  We did not come to a simple answer that night.  He has his theories.  I have mine.  I thought I would share with you a theory of C.S. Lewis that I read this morning.

 “Surely you know that if a man can’t be cured of churchgoing, the next best thing is to send him all over the neighborhood looking for that church which ‘suits’ him until he becomes a taster or connoisseur of churches. 
    “...the search for a ‘suitable’ church makes the man a critic where the Enemy wants him to be pupil.”  (Lewis, C.S.  The Screwtape Letters.  Norwalk, Connecticut:  The Easton Press, 2002, p. 81.)

The idea is that one of the techniques of the devil is to keep people looking for the perfect church.  You are aware of all the litanies.  Music too fast, music too slow, use the wrong translation, no teen program.  I am sure you have your own.  I don’t know who said it first but we have been warned that if we find the perfect church don’t join because then it wouldn’t be perfect any more.  I believe Groucho Marx once said something like, “Any club that would have me as a member I wouldn’t want to be a part of.”

Are you looking for a good church?  Why not find one that has the basics and settle in to become a part of the solution instead of being part of the problem.

homo unius libri