I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not very cool. Don’t let these amazing good looks and brilliant dance moves fool you.
I’ll pause while those of you who really know me pick yourselves up off the floor and wipe the tears away from the huge amounts of laughter……
Ok. So, I’m not cool. I never really have been. I often hang around those who are. I hear the lingo, the music, the moves, and the greetings. Yes, greetings. Old guys like me still remember the handshake, but the world has moved on. There is now a plethora of handshake replacements – new greeting styles… Fist bumps, hand clasps with snaps at the end, etc. There’s a whole new playbook and I haven’t even seen the Cliff Notes!
I was reminded of this at church today, when I went off stage for the “greet your neighbor” time. My good friend and pastor Chris came up to congratulate me on a successful welcome to our Radiant Life Fellowship guests. I came in with the handshake, but he was ready for the fist bump. I switched to the fist bump, and he went to the handshake. We ended up with the “man hug” – you know, firm bear hug with the ceremonial back pat. Once again, I was reminded that I don’t always know what’s “in” – Chris is MUCH cooler than me. 
It got me to thinking – what are the things that I assume people know when attending church? What are the rituals, practices, and habits that might keep them from feeling “in the know” and lead to those awkward moments that could close down their ability to hear the good news of the Gospel? It got me to thinking about “knowing the rules” in church. Not the 10 Commandment types of rules, but the “you can’t sit here” and “you have to wear this” and “you have to have your life in order” and “you have to believe without asking any questions” rules that so often you have to answer correctly before being allowed “in”. We are working VERY hard at RLF to ensure that we don’t build these barriers but we probably have even more to do. Unfortunately, Christians have not historically done well with this.
In the early church, Christians had to have secretive signs. Christians were not welcome or even tolerated. To be known as a Christian could mean beatings, imprisonment, or death. So, symbols and signs were often used instead of coming right out with their identity. Sometimes even today, we use symbols, words, and ceremonies that speak to bigger things that words seem too small to encompass. These signs and symbols, in themselves, are not bad and can even be hugely powerful. Sometimes though, we have created customs that might separate instead of unite.
Of course, not every barrier is one that can be removed. To follow Christ is itself a barrier. Following Christ means that we submit to His leadership and direction. We submit ourselves to His teaching and commands. We give up our lives so that we might truly have life. A paradox for sure, but it is true nonetheless. Our nature seems to be the antithesis of this idea. We want what we want, when we want it, and just for ourselves. It’s not that we are necessarily seeking these things to the detriment of others, but it isn’t too far of a stretch to reach that point. All we have to do is look around us to see that in horrible action – crime, abuse, neglect, corruption, and other evils that we see each day. Usually though, we are just seeking our own preservation and comfort. Sometimes comfort is one of the biggest temptations of all…
I remember one church that I knew years ago where they had just gotten a new building. There was much pride of the accomplishment and of the “newness” of everything. So, many well-intentioned folks determined ways to “protect” the building. No kids programs in the main sanctuary so that they wouldn’t get the walls dirty. Special rules about using the cloth covered chairs so that they wouldn’t get stained. The very place built to worship God and invite people into His presence was now too protected to meet some people where they were in that moment. These well-intentioned folks were not bad people, but perhaps they, like me sometimes, are easily misdirected in our priorities. It reminds me that each decision that I make in leadership must be made with the mindset of how God would want me to use that resource or that decision.
Yes, some churches have tried to remove every barrier and in so doing, have removed the very truth of the Gospel. ”Seeker” churches have gotten a pretty hard rap lately on this subject. It is true that some of this is well deserved and sometimes it is merely jealousy and envy. Despite the motive, this question must be addressed as well – “How much can be removed before nothing is left at all?”. It is true that more often than not, people left Jesus instead of following Him. One example of this is found in Luke 18. Jesus challenged a rich young ruler’s priorities by telling him to sell what he had and give to the poor if he wanted the richness of Heaven. The scriptures say that the young man left very sad because he had many possessions. We can’t remove the challenge of the Biblical truths. The “Way” is challenging but rewarding. The message of the Gospel says we are to do what so often seems to be impossible – place ourselves in last place.
If we are to accomplish reaching every man, woman, and child repeatedly with the good news of the Gospel of Jesus, then we must eliminate barriers without watering down the message. We must remove the “secret handshakes”, “club rituals”, and “special dress codes” that seem to be so easy to slip into while unwaveringly sticking to the truth of scripture. We must examine our rituals and traditions and separate the “commands” from the “ceremonies.” We must lay aside our “comforts” so that we might meet people right where they are while still challenging each other as Christ-followers to live holy lives as our “reasonable sacrifice”. As we gather, let us consider the “outsider” and how that we can truly welcome them in – whether they know the “handshake” or not….
Share on Facebook
