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Connecting the Dots

Dec 11, 2006 Print This Post

.:mood:. Good
.:noise:. Kids doing art projects

In sync with the quote I posted earlier today, here’s a thought from MondayMorningInsight.com:

Imagine for a minute that you walked into your doctor’s office and it was like walking 35 years backwards in time. You say to your doctor, “how come you don’t make the place more modern?” His response, “I don’t have time. With all the patients I see every day there is not enough time to be making the place fashionable, besides it’s not the decor that matters, it’s the medicine.” You shrug and concede the point, more because it is not worth arguing than because he is right…

You enter the examination room and see equipment from 35 years ago too and begin to wonder. How current it this place? In the course of conversation you wonder if your doctor reads current journals, attends modern medicine seminars, keeps updated on best treatments and understands the pathology of certain diseases. You ask, “Hey doc, how do you keep current with what is happening in medicine today?” His answer is familiar but getting weaker each time you hear it. “I don’t have time to keep current; with all the patients I see there is just not enough time in the day to stay current. Besides, I still help people with the medicine I know.” You mutter under your breath, “but wouldn’t you like to do more?”

I hope it is clear that I am really not talking about a doctor and his office but a church and it’s community. The church must begin to move rapidly towards the 21st century if we are going to bring a timeless message to people that God loves. Let’s face it church is not culturally in line. No where lese do people sit in rows to sing songs, hear a 35-55 minute lecture, give their money away while being asked to volunteer to help. Even church people know what we do is weird; they are just more tolerant and accustomed to it.

I heard a Christian leader once say, if 1957 ever rolls back around, the church is perfectly poised to make a difference.

But this article wasn’t just pointing out a problem, but it suggested a few ways to address it. I’m gonna post the bullet points here, you’ll have to read the full article to read the rationale behind each of the bullets.

• Our service must be BIBLICAL.
• Our service must speak current language.
• Our service must strive for excellence.
• Our service must be relational.
• Our services must appeal to men.
• Our service must communicate the Gospel.