I was speechless as a young pastor when Win Curvin described how he decided how much money to give to the church. “I figure a worship service is worth at least as much as I would have spent for admission to a movie theater.” He meant it as a compliment to my preaching, and though as a retired Wall Street broker he could afford considerably more per week than the cost of a couple of movie tickets, he sincerely believed he had landed on a good measure of value.
Here is an ironic twist. Most of the churches that are successful in drawing a crowd operate on that same assumption, that the primary value of their church is producing a high quality weekend event for the enjoyment and enrichment of the attenders. Oh, the church leaders would loudly protest, “No way! We’re trying to create a high commitment church worthy of association with our savior.” But that’s not how it looks to those who show up.
Shaun King, founder of Courageous Church, was crestfallen to admit he had created a really good show when he had intended to foster a movement of radical disciples. His wife Rai agreed, saying that their winsome, edgy Sunday productions amounted only to “two songs and a feel good sermon.” In retrospect Shaun acknowledged, “I sold my soul for church attendance in our first week and could never quite get it back.”
Like countless other “successful” churches, Courageous Church desperately scrounged for money to support their operation while hundreds of attenders contributed – what? – the value of a couple of movie tickets. The attenders enjoyed the weekly show, and they were more than happy to pay for admission.
That’s not what Shaun King had intended. “The vision of my heart was for a committed community of people that first and foremost served God in radical ways in inner city Atlanta and in broken places all around the world. Sunday morning would simply be the time when those people came together to celebrate and honor God and invite others into our Monday-Saturday adventure.”
He thinks that if only he had brought together those who are energized for serving God rather than attending a glitzy Sunday show, he could have created the church of his dreams. I’m not so sure.
First of all, while following Jesus involves more than worship, offering ourselves to God in worship is the one thing we can do in every stage of life. A church that ranges from cradle to grave is going to have a fair number of people at any given time who are unable to do much of anything in service to others. Some of them are temporarily out of commission, some have such spiritual, emotional or physical disabilities that they never will be able to share the load, and of course, some are simply too young or too old. But they can always gather with the congregation for worship.
Second, founding a church on the basis of “doing” has multiple spiritual hazards. It was to the strenuous doers that Jesus warned, “Depart from me; I never knew you.” American Christians who flagrantly violate the fourth commandment need to rediscover that rest and recovery are as much a part of spiritual growth as exertion. Many of those who only attend “the show” may appear passive and unproductive, but for the hour they are present God has an opportunity to rejuvenate and redirect.
I don’t know why so many people are content only to attend worship on Sunday, as though they have done their part and can then get on with their lives. It drives me crazy. But I can hardly count the number of pew-sitters who have told me, “I really think hard about what you say on Sunday.” They’re dealing with God and integrating their faith with their values and world view, yet as far as I could tell, nothing was happening. Those are chastening moments for me, forcing me to consider whether the church of my dreams is only dimly associated with the one God is building.
Journeys 
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