Friday, January 02, 2009
Why Are Less People Attending Church?
On more than one occasion, after inviting someone to attend church, I have had them half- jokingly say, “If I came to your church the roof would fall in.” Further discussion often revealed that such people were not always unbelievers; some just thought they weren’t good enough, didn’t have enough faith, or didn’t want to go someplace where there might be hypocrites. Well, not to worry. The roof won’t fall in. No one is good enough. We all could use more faith. And, we are all hypocrites at times. Besides we don’t let those kinds of excuses keep us from going other places. Do you stay home from restaurants because you are a poor cook, because you don’t have as much money as other patrons or because people who are overweight eat there?
A man recently told me that he was at a bowling alley on Sunday. All 40 lanes were full! That means several hundred people were willing to invest a substantial amount of time and money in -- just a game. I can guarantee you that there were people in that very crowd that were grouchy, hypocritical, drunk, cheating on their spouse, etc. Yet there were more people paying to bowl that day than there were in many of the local churches that morning. You don’t suppose there may be some other issues going on, do you? Think about it. If God is almighty and man lives forever, wouldn’t it make sense that people would be willing to gather with other imperfect people for a few hours on a Sunday morning to make plans for eternity? What gives?
I wonder if the real issue nagging people who don’t often attend church is that they are having trouble believing and think that disqualifies them. Maybe some significant hurt or tragedy has shaken their faith. Perhaps questions have come up that don’t seem to have answers. It could be that they have encountered some genuinely, faith-shattering situations that make them wonder if they truly believe. Do you suppose that such people think that those people who attend church regularly don’t have doubts or questions like they have -- allow me to clear that up.
Christians don’t have it all figured out. In my experience, people who attend church have many doubts, questions, and times of intellectual and spiritual turmoil. That is the very reason why church attendance is so important to them. Church is a great place to wrestle through your faith issues as you get to know God better. Madelein L’Engle said it this way, “Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in an idea of God, not in God Himself.”
The life of a believer is full of struggles and discoveries. They do not attend church because they are good and strong, but because they need goodness and strength. Church is not a place for perfect people -- it is a place for the fellowship of people who are facing life’s challenges. Church is a place to worship, wonder, weep and rejoice. It is a place designed to help people wobble and totter toward heaven.
My theory is easily tested. Just attend church this Sunday and see if the roof falls in. It won’t cost you anything, but it could change your eternal destiny.
A man recently told me that he was at a bowling alley on Sunday. All 40 lanes were full! That means several hundred people were willing to invest a substantial amount of time and money in -- just a game. I can guarantee you that there were people in that very crowd that were grouchy, hypocritical, drunk, cheating on their spouse, etc. Yet there were more people paying to bowl that day than there were in many of the local churches that morning. You don’t suppose there may be some other issues going on, do you? Think about it. If God is almighty and man lives forever, wouldn’t it make sense that people would be willing to gather with other imperfect people for a few hours on a Sunday morning to make plans for eternity? What gives?
I wonder if the real issue nagging people who don’t often attend church is that they are having trouble believing and think that disqualifies them. Maybe some significant hurt or tragedy has shaken their faith. Perhaps questions have come up that don’t seem to have answers. It could be that they have encountered some genuinely, faith-shattering situations that make them wonder if they truly believe. Do you suppose that such people think that those people who attend church regularly don’t have doubts or questions like they have -- allow me to clear that up.
Christians don’t have it all figured out. In my experience, people who attend church have many doubts, questions, and times of intellectual and spiritual turmoil. That is the very reason why church attendance is so important to them. Church is a great place to wrestle through your faith issues as you get to know God better. Madelein L’Engle said it this way, “Those who believe they believe in God but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in an idea of God, not in God Himself.”
The life of a believer is full of struggles and discoveries. They do not attend church because they are good and strong, but because they need goodness and strength. Church is not a place for perfect people -- it is a place for the fellowship of people who are facing life’s challenges. Church is a place to worship, wonder, weep and rejoice. It is a place designed to help people wobble and totter toward heaven.
My theory is easily tested. Just attend church this Sunday and see if the roof falls in. It won’t cost you anything, but it could change your eternal destiny.
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