Surely I have vented about Christian Consumerism before? Surely! It's one of my "hot-button" topics. Don't get me started.
Too late!
One of the strangest questions I have ever been asked is, "How do you select a church to join?"
"That's the 'strangest'?" you ask.
It's not rare by any means, but it does strike me as very strange.
"What's strange about this simple, straightforward, sincere, question? You should be happy that people are asking, particularly asking you." you say.
I see your point. We Americans are nothing, if we are not consumers, or better, CONSUMERS! We are used to "have it your way" and such slogans. We are used to being appealed to, coaxed, induced, catered to. We are accustomed to being wooed, persuaded, sold.
We see church denominations and congregations as "just another commodity", and we expect churches to cater to us.
What's wrong with this picture? Isn't that what churches are supposed to do? Don't churches exist in their myriad of worship styles and approaches to cater to our tastes?
Ooops!
Yep, you figured it out. Churches are collections of individual Christians joining together, hopefully, for the purpose of worshipping G^d, not the "customers".
Notice that I used the word, "hopefully".
Too late!
One of the strangest questions I have ever been asked is, "How do you select a church to join?"
"That's the 'strangest'?" you ask.
It's not rare by any means, but it does strike me as very strange.
"What's strange about this simple, straightforward, sincere, question? You should be happy that people are asking, particularly asking you." you say.
I see your point. We Americans are nothing, if we are not consumers, or better, CONSUMERS! We are used to "have it your way" and such slogans. We are used to being appealed to, coaxed, induced, catered to. We are accustomed to being wooed, persuaded, sold.
We see church denominations and congregations as "just another commodity", and we expect churches to cater to us.
What's wrong with this picture? Isn't that what churches are supposed to do? Don't churches exist in their myriad of worship styles and approaches to cater to our tastes?
Ooops!
Yep, you figured it out. Churches are collections of individual Christians joining together, hopefully, for the purpose of worshipping G^d, not the "customers".
Notice that I used the word, "hopefully".
For us, years ago, when I knew God was leading me from my childhood church home, we said we'd visit churches. The first visit, where we felt God leading us, is where we still are today. But, I suppose there are different styles of worshipping. Jumping pews and hollering are not my idea of worship. But apparently it is for some. But I think God must lead you where you are needed in the body.
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