Missional Living vs. Consumerism

Ok, so I have never done this before.  I have never quoted a book this lengthly before in a blog, but this story is so good.  It shows us how important it is to erase the consumeristic tendencies within us in regard to how church is to be done.

“One couple had been with us for about a month.  They had been pastors in Texas, (I am in no way endorsing women as pastors here) and once they moved to Denver they felt that Adullam (the name of the church) had become home.  I met with them twice, and it seemed that they really understood the cost and opportunity of being a part of our missional people.
“Take a few months,” I suggested. “Get to know some folks , but work ever harder at getting to know your neighbors so that you can maybe for a new village made up of mostly Sojourners.”  A few months went by, and before one of our Sunday gatherings, they came up to me in tears and described how disconnected they felt.  As the wife was crying, she said, “This church seems cold and we have had a hard time connecting.  We’ve asked you to help us plug into a village, but you won’t help us.  In our last church, we had classes where people could connect and you don’t have any classes.”
In my past attractional church life, I would have put my arms around them, prayed for them, and spent some time the next week trying to find friends for them.  This time, and sadly for them, my response was different.
“John and Jill,” I said, “this is the wrong place for you.  It sounds like you need a church that provides some things for you that we can’t.”  I then redirected the to another church nearby.  How did I know John and Jill weren’t a fit with us?  The giveaway was that while they were crying about not being connected, we had 150 people standing behind them scarfing down donuts, talking, laughing and…connecting.  They were the ones sitting down waiting for the church service to start dispensing worship goodies.  They had missed the obvious.  We had been having church for 30 minutes!
For the structure to support the ongoing mission, there’s no way around the fact that leaders must call people beyond where they’ve been. They must create new structures that help people move with them and at the same time gently remove consumer-oriented services.
I’ve discovered that in most cases the church environments we’ve created for consumers fosters a “softness” that hinders people’s growth and involvement in God’s mission.  This couple had been in paid professional ministry, but they were still expecting someone to “plug them in,” start a class for them, or find them some friends.”
(From the ‘Tangible Kingdom’ by Hugh Halter & Matt Smay)

At Remedy Church, let’s remove our consumeristic desires for church and live on mission.  Yes, we absolutely affirm the necessity of the Sunday morning service.  This where we join together, worship together, God speaks to us through His Word, etc…  It is vital.  It is crucial.  However, it cannot be an end.  It must drive us forward during the week to live on mission and “seek to save that which is lost”.