A Series On the Perception of the Church: The Convenient Church (Part III)
In the last two issues, the church was presented as the Pillar of Truth. The
church ought to speak the truth in love without discrimination, prejudice, political correctness, or compromise.
This spoken truth might cause some to be uncomfortable or annoyed or to even leave the
church in search of a more convenient church. It has been noticed that the request for a more convenient church has been getting more and more popular. Statements like “I don’t find myself in this church anymore,” “The priest is great, but I
don’t have anyone in my age group,” “The church demographics have
changed,” “It’s all different people now!”, “The pastor at the other church speaks to
me,” “Their main
service is on Saturday night, and that leaves me Sunday with the family,” and “I go to the church near my house now; after all,
we worship the same Jesus!” are only part of a short list
of reasons for
searching for a convenient church. No one denies that these issues
are important; nonetheless, when these are the main reason for
searching for this “convenient” church, there is a concern. In no way does this mean that one should stick to a church
despite a long distance, lack of spiritual growth, and lack of
convenience, but the reasons above shouldn’t be the only reason or
even the main reason to leave a church.
One isn’t supposed
to “find himself” but to lose himself, not to
seek his “age group” but to serve everyone with a humble and pure
heart, considering himself least among all. One isn’t to see that
“demographics have changed,” for in doing so, one has already
separated oneself from the rest of the body of Christ. A believer shouldn’t only seek a pastor who “speaks to
me” but rather who speaks the fullness of truth as revealed and proclaimed by the apostles.
Comfort and convenience in many ways do not mean
growth but rather stagnation and status quo; everyone knows that growth happens outside the comfort zone. Growth takes
place when the members of a congregation look outside of themselves and serve one another: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of
mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but
also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3–4). The same spirit that pushes believers to seek churches for the sake of
convenience will continue to follow them everywhere they go.
It was not enough for the Lord to be with the
poor. Despite the
inconvenience, He wasn’t only with the poor but became poor Himself. It wasn’t humanly convenient for Him as a thirty–year–old man to be with the sick, lame, lepers,
and widows, yet He was not only willing to pray with them but to heal
them and be with them under the yoke of pain and suffering. The Lord came not to be served but to serve those
who are underprivileged, and He wasn’t ashamed to call them brothers and Himself a firstborn among them. He came
to gather those who were scattered abroad to Himself (John 11:52); He came to unite and not to divide. In the
church with the most problems, Corinth, St. Paul asked the Corinthians to love one another. Describing love, he
said, “Love suffers long,” “doesn’t seek its own,” and “bears all things” (1 Cor. 13).
