Can Church Become an Idol?

Disclaimer:  I love church.  No really – I have been going to church since before I was born.  We Baptist will count everything that is on the Church Property – So when my mom was pregnant – I was enrolled in Sunday School!  The “Pre-Natal Roll!”   Seriously!

As I have grown up in the church, I love the people, the fellowship, the encouragement, the admonishments (even those), the music, the programs and the relationships.   Church is intertwined in my existence.  I grew up in church – I learned to sin in church with all my church friends – I have worked in church staff positions for 37 of my 54 years on earth.  I really love church!

Now it hasn’t always been fun and sunshine.   I have seen church fights, splits, hypocrisy, bitterness, judgmental attitudes, legalism, and conduct that would embarrass Jesus and all twelve of the disciples.  But I have also seen some of the most selfless, kind hearted, genuine people on earth that not only love Jesus, but love others too.

But recently I have wondered if I have made the culture of the Church an idol that has kept me from truly loving and following Christ.

Think with me here … and before you throw your hymnal at me just listen to what I am thinking and see if it rings true with you also.

The longer we go to church, the easier it is to grow comfortable.  We gravitate to people like us and church is filled with people “like us.”   They believe what we believe, value what we value, sing what we sing, love what we love and there is a “safety and comfort” in church.    It is a “sanctuary” from the chaos of life – the chaos of the world right?

Now this is tricky – so pay attention.  We as followers of Jesus are called to love one another, to encourage each other, to teach and admonish each other, to invest ourselves in the lives of other believers’ right?   This symbiotic relationship pulls – binds us together and we learn to enjoy and love each other in fellowship. 

But what if that fellowship – that close knit family – that comfort – that discipleship becomes what really draws us together?  What if it becomes the focus rather than Jesus?

We come to an amazingly beautiful building that is built for comfort surrounded by our like-minded friends that we love and cherish and in to comfort of that building we sing and talk about Jesus, God and things we all say “Amen” too.

Afterwards we leave the building and can’t wait to escape this sinned filled world again and enter into the “Sanctuary of Safety” with our friends.

In our buildings we feel right (we have everything we need – friends – love comfort and fellowship) and we don’t need a thing.  There is just a sweet sweet spirit in that place … and that is what we cherish … that is what we crave … that is what we long for … that is what we have come to worship.

We worship comfort, sameness, security and stability – all that are marks of a great Church and in the midst of our comfort and security we have stopped worshipping – stopped chasing for and longing after God.

We rush in from a broken world, filled with uncertainty and instability into the comfort and security of our church while Jesus stands on the outside looking in … “If anyone hears my voice ……..” (Revelation 3:14-22)

Is anything wrong with comfort, security, stability in the Church?  Not unless we are unwilling to leave it and go into the dark unstable world and love unlovable people.

If the comfort of our church is more important to us than walking into the world of broken people then perhaps we have made comfort our object of worship rather than Jesus.  We are running away, shielding ourselves from the very people Jesus left us here to reach – to love – to show His love. 

Matthew 9:11-13 (CEV)  Some Pharisees asked Jesus' disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and other sinners?"  Jesus heard them and answered, "Healthy people don't need a doctor, but sick people do.  Go and learn what the Scriptures mean when they say, 'Instead of offering sacrifices to me, I want you to be merciful to others.' I didn't come to invite good people to be my followers. I came to invite sinners."

These are just thoughts in my mind – my heart – as I strive to learn what it is to wholeheartedly follow Jesus.   There will be more to come … I am still learning.  (smile)