This week I am away for a few days of solitude and reflection. This is the third Spring I have visited St. Columba Retreat House. Its located on the Point Reyes Peninsula. I typically take a hike each day somewhere I can hear the waves crashing and see wildlife unseen in Lincoln (elephant seals). There is a historic lighthouse at the very end of the point. Many folks travel the winding roads pass a number of historic farms to come to visit and whale watch for a few moments. There are 300+ steps down to the lighthouse from the visitors center. It usually quite windy and sometimes foggy. The interesting thing about this particular lighthouse is that it no longer is lit. It does still have a loud fog horn that goes every 30 seconds, yet the light no longer is shining. It not due to budget cuts either. A number of years ago it was made automatic but now is dark. The information center states that since so much of our navigational equipment has advanced to include satellites and GPS maps, the light is no longer necessary. Modern day shipping no longer needs lighthouses.
It seems to me that might be said about what many think about the Church today. We have a ton of unique and helpful Bible translations and tools to help us navigate the scriptures. We can listen to a favorite teacher or message via podcast. We have access to so many worship songs through sites like iTunes that we can construct our own personal worship set. We have big and comfortable homes to connect with our friends and host a family BBQ. We even have PayPal to help us give to those charities and compassion projects that personally move us. We can do everything that we do on a Sunday through our homes and the advanced technology of the internet. So who needs Sunday (or Saturday) church? It seems that modern Christians no longer need churches.
Before I respond to this critique, allow yourself to take a few moments and reflect on the question. Why do we need Church? Especially our weekend gatherings?
What do you think?
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1 comment:
Great thought Troy. I know some of the research gurus, like Barna, have written about the internet church and I’ve got a friend in the Houston area who serves at a church that offers an internet venue each week. But I also see a huge danger in going this rout. Here are just the first things that come to mind.
1. New Testament principle and pattern. A lot of emerging Christ followers these days talk about wanting to follow Jesus and be like him. They like Jesus, but not the church as Kimball’s book goes. But if we’re really going to follow Jesus, then it seems like we should really take his practice and Word as something to be radically implemented in our lives. Ok, so the point being that what we find in the New Testament is a regular participation and precedent of regularly meeting on the “first day” of the week or as the apostle John says; “The Lord’s Day”.
2. God is actually honored when His children gather together in unity.
3. Simple fact is that we need that connection. I do a lot of email and blog communication myself. But that doesn’t match being able to see someone in person for a good hand shake, hug, and real personal prayer. Unlike what Simon and Garfunkel sang, we really are not islands.
4. Because we CAN in America and the West. There are Christ followers in places like Iran and Saudi Arabia who cannot openly meet together due to government persecution.
PS Love the pic man. God’s creation is another reason why we really miss CA.
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