A Mega Church (shall remain anonymous)

Hebrews 10:24,25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 


The writer exhorts the Christians to not forsaking the gathering together. I have always taken that verse to mean you need to go to church. That really isn't the thing that is most important though. I can go sit in a room with other Christians and never fulfill that verses' mandate; stir up one another for love and good works. Exhibit A - Yesterday: enter church property, greeted by three official greeters, enter main sanctuary, find a seat in the middle somewhere, no eye contact with anyone, no contact with each other. The only words spoken to us were to ask us to move down two seats because they had other people coming. Everyone is respectful of the silence, each moving into his or her row. The countdown is on the screen. Everyone waits, silently, alone together. The countdown dwindles to 0 the first waves of acoustic strums fill the air, a beat, lights up on the stage, and suddenly, as if an electrical charge was sent through each chair people are on their feet clapping their hands, smiling. It was bizarre. Like "Stepford Wives" bizarre.

We sing, we sit, we watch an intro video, the pastor comes to preach. He is good. I mean great sermon! I would definitely listen to his podcasts. Then we do communion (fastest drive-through sacrament process ever) and more worship. As the last notes of the last song are still hanging in the air the worship leader says, "Thanks for coming. Have a great day." The shutters close on all the faces, each person turns and moves to the isle. In less than 30 seconds every chair in the whole place (800-1000) was empty and each body dutifully trudged up the isle, in relative silence, and out the door. We sat. We were amazed. Less than three minutes later we were the only people still sitting.

Seriously the most efficiently trained staff and I dare say congregation/audience. They are so efficient that apparently there is no need for God to attend their church. I know I will get hate blogs for this but I am being brutally honest. There were three of us visiting yesterday and we all just sat there with our jaws open after the service.

And I know that most churches this size believe that intimacy and relationship building come in the "small groups." Ironically you have to find your way to the groups, not through relationships, but on your own. If relationships are what God values and we, the church being the hands and feet of the relationship, sit and wait for them to come to us, how is that fulfilling our job? And how many of those in the teeming throng of this church actually participate?

If efficiency is what enables us to "puppy mill" our constituents through our doors in three services without a hitch to our timeline should we be praised or pitied? Who is shepherding the flock when the flock has become a throng of Christian zombies?

Do not forsake the gathering together. Gather, not for the sake of a crowd but for the sake of transparent, accountability, and genuine love for one another. Find some other name besides church for your gatherings if they do not exemplify or invite Christ. At the beginning of Hebrews 10 the writer tells us why it is important to get this right, for your congregation to get it. If we don't understand salvation and sanctification then we just keep coming back week after week for absolution not understanding we are joyfully forgiven already. Changed lives, when they encounter God, are easily distinguishable and contagious.