Who Needs Church?
Matt Laney**
"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."
- Romans 3:23
If I've heard the cliché once, I've heard it a thousand times: "Church people are hypocrites." Well… yeah. That's why we need church!
Not going to church because of all the "hypocrites" is like not going to the gym because of all the "out of shape" people.
Church people are no different than anyone else except, perhaps, for one thing: we know we need help being restored to the truth of who God is and who we are. That and the fact that we like to hang out with other hypocrites on Sunday mornings.
Given the pervasiveness of this cliché, it's clear we have some marketing and branding work to do especially if your church has a beautiful, gothic, fortress-like structure (like mine).
I love our church building and sanctuary, but it's easy for someone to drive by our magnificent facade and think "That's a place for successful upstanding people who are right with God… or at least think they are. If I go in there I'm going to be judged, or worse, ignored."
So maybe instead of our well intentioned "All are welcome" signs outside the church we should be a little more straightforward and post banners reading:
"No Perfect People Permitted on Premises," or
"KEEP OUT if you never make mistakes," or
"Hypocrites, phonies and other losers ONLY."
Well, I suppose that last one would only reinforce the stereotype, but you get my drift. Nothing equalizes humanity like our shared need of grace in the company of other screw-ups.
And that's why we all need church.
Lord, you said where two or more are gathered in your name you are there. Help me make time this week to be with at least two others who need your redeeming, truth-telling grace as much as I do. :angel:
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**ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Matthew Laney is the Senior Minister of Asylum Hill Congregational Church, UCC, in Hartford, Connecticut.
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