Enough of This

Last night I tossed and turned, not able to sleep as my mind was just racing and I could not seem to slow it down for hours. I found myself thinking about and going over that craziness that we've allowed to creep into the church (corporately) since the time I pastored my first church in 1986 until now. We've had so many fads and trends and buzz words and catch phrases that it makes my mind spin. This morning, I find myself again sitting here wondering when it stopped being enough to preach the Word of God and how we started with all the gimmicks and "door buster" approach to getting people in our church doors? I believe it has a lot to do with the atmosphere of competition that has been created between churches. With our mouths, we claim, "we are all one body" but our actions on display prove otherwise as pastors and members work harder at stealing sheep from other folds than we do at making converts and disciples of Christ. This spirit of competition has caused churches to constantly be trying to "one-up" one another and come up with a better dog and pony show than what the church across town has. When one remodels, the other has to hurry up and put together a remodel or expansion project to make sure they are "keeping up with the Jones".  One church has a singing, revival or special service and rather than join in, we make sure to create something in our own church to keep the folks interested in and attending our own church. This competition is evident in the fact that across America, churches are not really growing, but simply swapping members from one church to the other and our numbers are in a steady decline across denominational lines. Let's be brutally honest...we pushed God right out of the equation as we plotted and schemed to become the latest, greatest happening church in town with the newest lights and sound and gizmos and gadgets. 

I'm tired of all this. I just want an old-fashioned move of God with the power of the Holy Ghost being the only thing on display. That is what it is going to take to transform lives, churches, and communities. No more searching for something new. Just give me that which is tried and true... Give me that old-time religion.