Stiff, Stale or Silly. If you ask people, in general, to give a one word description of the church today, I think many would put it into one of the 3 aforementioned categories. Allow me to explain. Stiff: This type of church relies heavily on traditions, rites, ceremonies, clerical garments, doctrines and rules. The worship format is set-in-stone, and if there are any deviations, they are minor indeed. Worshippers sit quietly, following the prescribed formula, responding to the pastor, almost robotically, and exit in much the same way. Stale: Similar to the Stiff church, but slightly more relaxed. The members may have more say in the actual style of the service, but the presentation of the “Word” is dusty, lacking either enthusiasm or joy. Silly: This NEW style church proclaims that it is Relevant, Seeker-Friendly, Casual and Entertaining, proclaiming a warm, fuzzy, Happy-Slappy Jesus who loves and accepts everyone. No need for repentance….Come Visit Us, We Are Here For You!! At their core, I believe all of these organizations have Jesus. The problem is most of the members can’t find him, let alone experience him, through all the stiffness, staleness and silliness. Is there a perfect church? No. As long as there are humans, the church will be imperfect. Does that mean we just throw the whole thing out? Our enemy, Satan, would love that, and we sure don’t want to please him! The author of Hebrews reminds us when he wrote, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing…” Hebrews 10:25. The church that God envisioned for us, is alive, filled with his Holy Spirit, and enthusiastically doing the work that Christ began. In addition, each member is involved in ministry, continuing to grow in the Word, seeking his daily infilling, which all brings glory to God, and credence to the body of Christ. Where do you find yourself today?
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