by Geffry Fields
geffry@interlinc.net
They seem like God's thing... but as Business Week said(May 23, 2005) Mega churches are using business principles to accomplish big gains in growth... in numbers of people and capital expansion. Note Business Week on-line...title and link.
Earthly Empires ”How evangelical churches are borrowing from the business playbook” businessweek.com
http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_21/b3934001_mz001.htm
Can we use world-based principles to accomplish Spiritual goals? Did God hire leading business management (MBA) people to run the Jesus Kingdom? Was Jesus recognized for using the best in technology, the premier entertainment facilities of the day, and tremendous amounts of money to build the best worship centers of the day? Did he have marketing campaigns to get them to come to his high energy, emotional impact meetings of great motivational quality? Business Week said they are “using by-the-book niche marketing tactics” and hiring professional business marketers to direct their efforts. Does this sound like it was the way Jesus said to do it?
Was it the Apostle Paul who said they would have forms of godliness but not His Power? Did not Jesus recruit average folks who with His Power became the mouth piece, the extension of His power for building His Kingdom on earth.? Was it these average people who went out, with power on them and shared the experience they had with everyone... and there, where they were in the streets, in the business, in the home many saw this wonder and became Jesus followers?
Wasn't it going to the needs of man versus spending millions to get them to come to a big entertainment center? And on… and on… and on… where is this going?
Am I seeing something here? Do others see it too? If you do, please let me know. It just makes me cringe inside. Are we missing the point, objective, the cell of Power through the
personal walk of Jesus in Us that is being overlooked? Is something wrong with this picture?
“A form of godliness, but limiting Jesus of His Power. Avoid such people."(2 Timothy 3:5)
If through the Spirit, after Jesus physical death, He came back in the form of His Spirit now among us, why do we make "going to church" such a big deal. When Jesus, The Spiritual Church, is Us. We are the Church... as a Spiritual unit in the world.
The church is the person of Jesus;
The person of Jesus lives in and among Us;
Jesus Is Us!
Neil Diamond once wrote a song called Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show.
I took liberty to write my own parody of this new version of the Salvation Show.
The Big Building along the Big Road Salvation Show
(theme stanza)
And the choir sings Hallelujah
Let's grab all the babies bring in the cool ladies
and everyone go to the Big Building along the Big Road Salvation Show
And the choir sings Hallelujah
---------
(Repeat theme)
Get them dancing and shouting to the music score
Tell them good things about life
so the tests they ignore
It's Christmas, play songs in high concert style
put it on TV, let's make it last for a while
Hundreds of thousands get to see the show
Hundreds get saved... again... and... again... you know
(Repeat theme)
Bring in Professionals to make the sounds ring with singers galore
Buy from LA a camera crew to video the gala show and more
The Big stage lights flow in syncopated rhythm, up and down the rows
They all will know its the Salvation Show
(Repeat theme)
They're getting them there, bowing their heads, raising their hands
They start walking up front led by a parade
of good hearted folks who will then lead them to the Lord
Signing a card, led in prayer, but when it's all said and done
and when the spot lights again sweep the crowd on the floor...
and then... when the lights are out...
will they still be there living for the Lord.
(Repeat Theme) (Music stops, choir disappears)
Lights Out... the end of the show
Only lights left on the cars missing from the empty parking lot
It's Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri., Sat.
No show these nights
cause Sunday's the day of the salvation show.
Epilogue
The Big Building along the Big Road Salvation Show
Spotlights and a big stage
Radio spots and TV ads
The big spot along the Big Road
It seems so much like a show
But really... does anyone really see the hidden spot
on the person's heart looking for someone to
"know them" intimately embracing their hearts,
and willing to "be with" them along the way.
Jesus said to simply notice the one that's alone
go to him or her, and be their friend,
and then you have done the greatest service for His Kingdom.
So with the Big Buildings as a Billboard along the Big Road
and the Big Show,
in trying to get everyone saved,
have we lost sight of the bigger call,
to take time to get to know them,
to love, and to help that one person we see each day.
No comments:
Post a Comment