"Hey... We're coming to church on Sunday!"
Sometimes I hear this enthusiastically exclaimed, and every time I do, I wonder what response I'm meant to have.
If I'm told you're coming so you can reconnect with God, then that is great. Brilliant. Excellent. Bravo.
But occasionally the tone makes me uncomfortable. It comes across like you're doing someone (myself, the senior minister, the service leader, a musician) a favour.
This stinks.
If you're going to attend church as a token of affection for anyone but God, then understand that it doesn't thrill me. Yes, an exception should be made for those who are investigating following Jesus or the church anew, but the random Facebook message will not get much more then a smirk.
If you're going to attend church, what would make me much happier, is if you did it for reasons to do with God.
But, whatever their motivation (even if it's doing you a favour, or wanting to meet people of the opposite sex), isn't it just good that people come to church and have the chance to hear the gospel?
ReplyDeletePeople coming to church is great. No doubt. God can, and does, speak and change people to come to church with less than pure motives.
ReplyDeleteBut it doesn't mean that those who hear the "I'm coming to church for the first time in in two months" exclaimation aren't tickled pink.
Either way, I'd rather them in church once every blue moon then not at all...