Look For The Liberty

"We're a FAMILY centered church," he said with a slight southern drawl.

He tossed the slick, four-colored, multi-paged brochure on the coffee table.

This was the sales pitch meeting I had sooo NOT been looking forward to. We made the mistake - I should say MY WIFE had made the mistake - of filling out the visitor's card the first time we'd been to this church. I'm more of the covert, sit in the back, visit a several times,  listen to the teaching, and observe the interaction of the people before and after the service BEFORE I get the promo-from-the- pastor.

Now was the dreaded, obligatory "visit-with-the-pastor" and one of the church leadership. After a few polite questions about us, here came the sales pitch of why "we're the best church in town." At the same time, they were checking us out as potential church activity consumers.

I picked up the brochure with the name and slogan emblazoned above a cover picture of smiling, laughing people having fun in the building's foyer. Inside, immediately, was a bulleted list of what they believed and set them apart from OTHER churches.

Next page a list of service times throughout the week, over a picture of the praise team and band in a moment of musical excitement. Colored lights splashed on the walls behind them, screens projecting words for the audience to sing by.

The following pages were festooned with carefully chosen pictures of children and youth having fun activities. Images of singles in wholesome group interaction and small groups of adults in homey surroundings with at least one person, an open Bible on their lap.

And, of course, on the last page was the Plan of Salvation above the  name, address and several phone numbers for the church stamped at the bottom.

"Well, what do you think?" the pastor asked proudly. He had waited impatiently as we had perused his pride and joy publicity.



I am a God-Junkie. I love studying and learning about and talking about and doing actives that have to do with God and His people. I have always enjoyed being at the center of church activities to the point it consumed most of my spare time and cut deeply into time with my family.

But as I've gotten older I've learned that not all activity is necessarily something that He has blessed or that He wants me a part of.

Should I ask the question that was right on the tip of my tongue or just go along for the ride and get this meeting over cordially? You could have cut the tension with a knife.

Oh, why not!

"You say you're a family oriented church. With all this activity . . . so many meetings packed into the week . . . when do the families have time for themselves?"

The men gulped, took a look at each other, then glanced at their watches. Suddenly they had another pressing appointment. Apparently my family weren't good candidates for this week's list of pew-packer. Not a potential trouble-maker member who asked too many questions.

When a church and/or the church leadership is seduced into operating like a business,  competition and size become the signs of success . . . not what Jesus described His Kingdom was to be like. Instead of looking at lives being changed and the power of God released with His presence, pews have to be filled, budgets have to be met, activities have to be organized to keep the members busy less they stray away to be recruited by a competitor church.

Oh, I'm all about the mandate Jesus left us with. We are to "go into all the world to make disciples," starting first in our home town. But the business of religion is all about recruiting the disciples of your religious competitor. You have to have better programs, hipper music, catcher slogans, . . or in the case of one church . . . "The Church Without A Name" (a slogan itself).

There's nothing wrong with a desire that the church be full of God-seekers when the Body of Christ comes together for corporate worship. However, if the ultimate goal is for the pastor to have a big congregation, so he is considered by another church, to make a career move to a bigger congregation, and so on, then the business of religion is alive and well in leadership decision making.

Jesus and his disciples were out on a stroll one day. They passed a fig tree with full foliage but no fruit on it. Fig trees normally blossom and put on their fruit at the same time the leaves sprout. Jesus then cursed the tree by saying, "From now on, nothing will grow on you ever again."

The next day, when they passed the tree, it had withered and died. In this incredible lesson, Jesus was saying, "just because you see activity, doesn't mean its purpose is being fulfilled."

A church may be a beehive of activity but what is the fruit being produced? Look across the congregation. Is it filled with drug addicts, alcoholics, thieves, prostitutes, Pharisees, publicans, and sinners whose lives have been transformed? Or is the over worked, busy disciples recruited from another church?

Second Corinthians 3:17 says, "...where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." That's a pretty good indication of freedom from the business of religion. There is bondage in the business of religion, a driving force that consumes energy, creativity, and time. Burn out is its signature reward.

To be delivered from the spirit of religion sets a church and it's leadership free. It destroys the fetters that the business of religion binds a congregation and the insatiable thirst to look better than the church down the block.

Look for the liberty . . . that's a great place to fellowship and enjoy the family of God

Business of Religion - Manditory Activity - (Part 3)