Why Do We Need the Church?

Friday afternoon I was sitting in Starbucks writing a paper and reviewing my sermon for Sunday. There was a young man, no doubt in college, sitting in a sofa chair straight across the room. Busy checking Facebook and texting his friends every other second, I could not help but notice him. As I was watching I saw this older gentleman constantly circling him and looking over his shoulder. I stopped what I was doing to watch this moment unfold. The boy took his ibuds out of his ear and asked the older gentleman if he could help him with anything. (This was an incredibly awkward moment for me and everyone else in ear distance) The older gentleman helped himself to the adjacent seat and said, “Son, you look lost. Do you go to church anywhere?”

“No.” The young man said concernedly. “You’re not going to tell me why I should are you?”

The older gentleman replied, “If you will let me I would love to tell you about my church. We are the new Community Church in town and have been rated as the number one worship service to attend in the city in a recent music magazine. I think you would really like what we have to offer there.”

“Why would you think that?” The young man replied.

“You just look like a musician. Are you not?” The older gentleman replied.

“Actually, no . . . I’m not.” The young man answered.

The older gentleman proceeded to stand up shake the boys hand and say, “Well, God Bless to you.”

This was the end of the conversation. I was completely perplexed and confused as to what just happened. What a weird attempt at evangelism. What a failed attempt at communicating that which means the most to this older gentleman. It was obvious he loved his life, his church and young people. It was also obvious that the only thing he thought his church had to offer was quality entertainment on Sunday mornings and once the boy didn’t express serious interest in music, the older gentleman felt defeated and ill-equipped at handling anything beyond the conversation on worship style.

I have to say, I am intrigued and disappointed by all of this. Here is a caring older gentleman who once to do good and tell people about Jesus. Why else would he be alone in Starbucks looking for “lost people?” The problem was he didn’t know what to do or say.

What is the church preparing its members to do in the world?

This instance suggests the church wants her members to report on how awesome the music is at church and how everyone should come and be entertained.

I don’t think I am ok with this. I know this is just one instance and it doesn’t reflect the universal church but I am still perplexed.

Why when the music bit failed for the older gentleman did he not think he had another avenue to pursue in communicating with a young man who openly admitted he didn’t go to church anywhere? Is the church only enticing when it has adequate music that competes with the Top 20 Countdown?

I believe the church has much more to offer. In my time as pastor I have noticed a few things. On the outside looking in our community is Mayberry. We are sweet, loving and wholesome. On the inside, we have a lot of hurt, pain, sorrow, brokenness, loss, death, regret and inadequacies. Life is hard enough and trying to balance the pain from day to day makes it stressful and un-enjoyable. The hour of worship we share in on Sunday mornings is so much more to my community that just stylish and upbeat music. It is a chance for all of us to lay our brokenness and pain at the altar and look our God in the face and say, “We need you, love you and want to participate in Kingdom work with you.” That hour of worship is life-changing for us. It is the one hour in the week we can put down our troubles and honestly say as a family of faith that there is something that takes away the pain and sins of this world: our committed relationship to Christ and the church. It is the church that sustains us and revives us. We need the church because this world is too hard to do alone. For some of us, we find solace and peace in the church.

I wish somehow the older gentleman would have communicated this to the young man. I wish the church could identify better on why it needs the church. How do you communicate why we need the church? Why do you need it?