McChurches

I've been thinking a lot about McDonalds.

I am in awe that this little burger stand has sold billions of hamburgers. You and I both know that, for the most part, their burgers are not really very good when compared to all the other boy and girl burgers. They aren't always very warm. The fact that the cow that donated that part of itself was killed months ago is bothersome. If you like pickles, I dare you to try and get a pickle taste in each bite. I remember as a child we went to a McDonald's and my dad was annoyed with the amount of 'pickleage'. One of the pimply faced teenagers working at this particular location in Greensboro, NC, was out on the main floor sweeping up all the scraps from the days feasting. As he swept, my dad noticed a pickle on the floor and asked the kid if he could have that pickle since they couldn't find it in their hearts to put one on his burger. Ahhhhhh, now those are memories you hang on to. :-)

So what's the deal? Why do we flock to McDonald's by the billions and make sure that it becomes the key remedy to cure a crying child in a mini-van? Well, it's obvious isn't it? McDonalds has several things that give it mass appeal: 1) it's cheap 2) they have been around for most of our lifetimes 3) they put toys in the food 4) and an addictive chemical in their fries that make you crave for it nightly and finally, 5) a big, shiny 'M' that dominates the highway. Sure, they could make a better product and with millions dying every year of 'largeness' they are even offering salads now. But for the most part, they are simply giving us what we want and what we think we deserve.

I'm starting to frown on 'mega-churches'. Why? I don't know. Maybe it's as easy as saying because I don't go to one. I just don't get the appeal of a 5,000 member church. I have always felt that the key to a great church was 'community'. It's great to attend somewhere and have people their that know your name, your likes, dislikes and even your baggage. I don't see how a church the size of Pratt gives you that. What I think 'most', not all, mega-churches do is they give you a 'McChurch'. It's fast, easy, big signs, lots of toys, 'pretty' staff members, etc. What they don't seem to give you is substance in your daily spiritual diet. There isn't a lot of meat in their meat, if you get my meaning. The whole goal seems to be to be able to add to the tote board: Over 6 Billion attending. By telling you how pretty you are and how wealthy you can be, they pull you in by the thousands.

Why is it that the goal of a small church is to get bigger? I know the goal SHOULD be to win more people to Christ, but why must those new converts attend your church? Shouldn't the tote board read: Over 6 Billion Saved!? I think so. Every time I read a story of someone that started a church of 50 and now it has over 5,000 attending, I always think, 'how sad'. I'm not the most social person in the world so if I'm worshiping with 50 people in my community and 5,000 show up the next week, I'm leaving like Donald Trumps next wife.
I'm not saying I'm right... I'm just not into the 'watch us grow' theology of church planting. How bout 'watch us sow'.

In the 80's, one of my favorite shows was Cheers. I know, it's set in a bar where people drink and apparently drinkers all go to hell, or something like that, I may be off in the translation of said verse. But what was it that was so great about that show?
For one thing, they had community. When a certain large man walked in everyday, what was said? "NORM!". It had Cliff Claven (sp?)the mail-man, jack of all trades, and knower of all things. Woody, the innocent, naive kid from Indiana. Carla, the loyal wife, loving mother who absolutely told you what she thought. Sam, the 'wanna-be' a teenager for life, former ball player, ladies man, bartender. The key to the show was in the theme song:

'You wanna go where everybody knows your name'. Amen to that.

Think about Jesus and his choices for ministry. There was really nothing mega about them when you think about it. He preached to multitudes, but usually ones that followed Him somewhere outside of town. Mostly he was seen in Taverns, houses, street corners, poor neighborhoods, 'sinners' houses, etc. About the only time he went into the 'mega church' of the day was to shake them up and scold them about the widows and orphans that weren't being cared for... Or to hammer them for the greed they had brought into the house of God (yeah, bigger sometimes just means greedier).

I'm not saying you shouldn't go to 'The Church of a Thousand Lakes', but I'm just saying that I don't want to go. I think there is a place for small churches. I think there's a place for cell churches, churches in homes, churches in the park and even churches in the bar. It's really about one thing: Community. A Community that loves people in Christ and for Christ. Who's to say you can't lead someone to the Lord and then let them attend a different church that feeds them well?

I will now admit that I have been convicted about something. In my pompousness of telling you what church should be, I will say that I go to church about once every 2 months. I would like to say it's because of my Railroad schedule, but we've lied enough for one night. No, I'm bitter about some things from the past and I haven't found a 'Community' that I like. When I go to church, it usually isn't fun. It's stressful to get everyone ready and fed on time. (What's the deal with being there so early all about?)I usually am too critical of things like the music or the preaching. There is always one guy or lady that HAS to speak every week and they usually cry. I shouldn't be annoyed by that, but I am. Why so sad, I wonder?

Donald Miller writes in his book 'Blue Like Jazz' that there is a way to go to church without getting angry. Here are his 3 keys:

* Pray that God will show you a church filled with people who share your interests and values.

* Go to the church God shows you.

* Don't hold grudges against any other churches. God loves those churches almost as much as He loves yours.

I need to find a church, a community. My friends and I have talked about starting a Community based cell church. Sounds good. I would love that. It's funny, I want to share Christ with people but I don't necessarily want to go to church with them. That's probably wrong, but you know what I'm talking about don't you? 'McChurches' are filled with people that I think are great people; better than me in fact. But I wouldn't feel community with them. I like small groups and intimacy. I don't like smoke, lights and lots of really pretty people pretending they are happy. I mean, I'm not happy so how can they be? :-)

Here's to Church, whatever fits your style. Better yet, here's to Community. Here's to loving others regardless of what they look like or where they live. Here's to being in a community of believers that doesn't care what the tote board says about their popularity. Here's to doing something other than singing the same songs, shaking the same hands and hearing the same sermons.

Here's to me getting off my self-righteous butt and going to church. See you Sunday.