Although I thought Murrow's book, Why Men Hate Going to Church was off base theologically, Murrow raises a good point: what type of Christianity are many of our churches selling? I fear Murrow is correct when he states that many churches are selling a feel-good, comfortable, self-help, fix-your-marriage, make-your-life-better Christianity. I agree with Murrow on this point, although I disagree with his solutions. A better solution: our American churches must regain the radical Christianity that is portrayed throughout the New Testament and early church history. True Christianity, as Jesus tells us, is a call to a persecuted life, a life of an alien in a foriegn, a life of a sojourner. A radical Christian is counter-cultural, speaks the Word, and stands up against injustices, yet bears the punishment (willingly) for standing out from the crowd. Bascially, true Christianity is not comfortable and will not make your life easier. It is only for the tough. To follow Christ is to face death (Luke 9:23).
I think this is how our churches can regain some of the lost men. Portray Chrisitianity as it should be, as it is shown in Scripture and throughout history. This is how men will come back to the church: when the Word is preached faithfully and true.
4 comments:
j.a.h. Having been around several churches, some older, and some plants, I fear that your assessment hits the nail head on. I see a trend without the body of Christ to be pulled toward the CEO type leader. While not a bad thing in and of itself it has lead me to ask one more question. Are we substituting prayer with what appears to be logical think? When looking for leaders we should remember what Paul said to the corinthian church. 1Corinthians 1:18-2:16
EMF
emf,
I couldn't agree more. The biblical mandates for leadership are often set aside when selecting church leaders. Instead, we look for "successful" people, which are usually businessmen and women. Of course there is nothing wrong with having people in leadership who are successful in the secular realm, but when this becomes the primary selecting tool, we have missed the boat. At the same time, as a pastor of a small church, I struggle with finding people that qualify biblically for leadership. The point you raise is acute: is prayer the primary means by which we identify and select leaders? In my limited experience, prayer often gets the short end of the stick in these matters; we rely too much on our own intuition or what you have termed logical think. Great point.
j.a.h. Finding leadership within a small church can be an overhelming task. Looking for a leader that has been successful in other venues of life is a tendancy that is unaviodable. Biblical leadership in the public eye is not for every christian. We all have gifts and talents to use within the body but even those gifts need to be cultivated. Always be on the lookout for someone who might have the special gift of biblical leadership. Never forget that the only example of perfect biblical leadership was Jesus Christ. I hold the bar high but always allow for grace and leave room for growth.
EMF
I think you are correct when you say that we need to hold the bar high, but allow for grace and room for growth. Possibly we (more accurately, I) put too much emphasis on what we can see now, rather than God-given potential that needs cultivation. This is where prayer comes in and attentiveness to the Holy Spirit, I think.
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