I've been sitting at home in my pjs and just watching francis chan podcasts on my laptop. i managed to go pretty much the whole day without feeling lazy, its actually been really refreshing and relaxing.
one video podcast really stuck out to me and it was titled "living a life that matters". francis chan uses an analogy that seems to make things so clear to me (now that i think about the fellowships and churches Ive been involved with or visited). the issue arises when you compare customers to coworkers. if you've ever worked before, you'd understand the relationship you have with your coworkers versus the one you have with your customers. most likely your relationship with your coworkers is different because you see them more often or even every day. you discuss things about future plans, problems within the work, or even goals that need to be accomplished. you have a common bond with these coworkers because you share these things. now compare that to the shoppers. the shoppers at a clothing store, for example, come in and pick what they want, leaving when they don't find what they want or even buying what they do like. shoppers come and go as they please and do not share a common bond with anyone in the store.
that is exactly how churches are today. the church is filled with customers who are coming to buy something or find something that pleases them. i am definitely guilty of this, especially in the church hunting that i did early this semester. i went looking for how the church could please me rather than how i could help the church...i was trying to find something that i could buy, something convenient and cheap...something that looked pretty. at the same time, criticizing what this church didn't offer and what this or that church lacked. the sad thing is that we, as Christians, seem to be content with being a shopper, so content that we even blatantly label it as "church shopping". this attitude is why the modern church doesn't look like how it did in Acts. if you look at Paul's letter in Philippians, you can see how he had a common bond with his "coworkers".
Pauls bond with his church was more than that of a consumer. it was one where he could relate to them and give them advice. it was the kind of relationship where he shared a partnership and Gods grace together. that kind of relationship does not come from a shopper who picks and chooses what he wants, but from someone who shares the same goal and duty as worker in Gods big enterprise.
3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
imagine what it would look like if people stopped shopping and began to form relationships in their fellowships, churches, or wherever they are and worked towards a common goal while serving one another instead of selfishly trying to find what appeals to them..
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