A conversation

Today I was talking with my friend and pastor, Melodi.  It's something we do every week - get together, pray, visit, and discuss the text for each coming Sunday.  That way it's easier for me to pick out good hymns....they need to go with the text.  It helps me to talk with her because there are a lot of texts I don't understand.

One of our topics today was church and the huge age gap we have in our church.  There's Sunday School age kids (a few), some later thirty-ish people, a few in the 40's, 50's, and 60's, and a lot of people over 60.  We were talking about why people my age don't really go to church. 

Now, please don't take any of this personally; I know there are people my age that do go to church.  But, in general, around here (and many other places, too, I believe), there are a lot of people my age who don't view church as a vital, necessary part of their life.

Our lives are too comfortable. 

We have too much luxury.

Our homes provide everything we need....church not being one of them.

Where does church come in then?

Back in the way early days, church was important.  It was vital.  Many people lived on farms, and church was the only time they got to see people.  They went to church because it was the highlight of their week; only in church did they get to see their friends, neighbors and family; only in church did they get to visit, rest, and feed themselves spiritually.

l                                                              l
l                                                              l
l                            X               X              lX
l                                                              l
 \                                                           /
   \                                                        /
     \                                                     /
       \_________________________/

All right, pretend my ugly diagram up there is a half circle.  The red x in the middle represents the church from way back when....when church was the center of everyone's lives - it was the highlight of their week.  The blue x is the people that go to church now on a fairly regular basis;  church is as close to the center of their lives as it will get.  The blue "x" people will never be in the middle - nobody ever will...that's something that's gone because of the way our lives are now - all our conveniences, our luxuries, and our comfortableness.  The green x is those who don't go to church.  It's the people who don't "need" or "want" church.

So what's the point of my rambling?

Why all the church talk?

It's something I've been thinking about all day - something that's been nagging me.  I want my friends, peers, people I don't know, acquaintances and neighbors to go to church.  I want them to realize the importance of Jesus and that He wants to be in their lives.

I want to encourage everyone who reads this - whether you agree with me or not - to take a look at your own life. 

Where does Jesus fit into it? 

Where does church and fellowship fit into it? 



Question yourself:  How's my faith today?

That's something I'm going to do throughout the 40 days of Lent.....wake up every morning and ask myself, "How's my faith today?" and "How can I improve it?"