Consumerism in the church makes me want to barf.
I’m a consumer. We all love to consume. I love a good seafood feast, a great latte, or a good game, but imagine if I looked at my family as performers that were meant to entertain me, instead of people I was walking in a mutual relationship with? If I lived family life as a consumer my wife and kids would feel used and unloved.
If I had a burrito for every time someone implied that it was my job as the church "leader" for lack of a better word to make someone friends or keep them entertained I'd be much larger than I am.
When I hear things like "I don't have any friends in the church" or "I wish the church had x" I roll my eyes. Usually, I hear things via text or email so nobody actually sees the "eye-roll".
Whose job is it to make friends? Whose job is it to create things you are excited about? It's yours. You are not helpless, you have gifts and ideas. Use them. It's more fun to create than to consume. It's better to give than to receive. You will own it if you aren't just laying back on a float being served mojitos. This is YOUR thing, not someone else’s.
The church is not some sort of business that is supposed to provide goods and services for consumers who benefit from them and then rate your organization on yelp or post on Facebook. The church is supposed to be a family of Jesus followers committed to living on mission together as we make disciples and bring beauty to brokenness.
You are lonely? Make a friend. Do you wish we were doing more in a specific neighborhood? Lead the charge. You want to get some musicians together and play that funky music? More power to you! Sounds fun. You wish that we would do something to care for widows or the elderly, set it up and text a few friends about joining you. You are a creator. You are free to run.
The best critique of the bad is the practice of the better. Or you might have heard the quote, "don't curse the darkness, light a candle."
Chances are, God has put passions in your heart not because he wants you to wait for the non-profit church entity to create that product for you, but because he has birthed a passion in you that you were meant to pursue and create and invite others to be a part of.
Could you imagine if rather than the people of God approaching "church" as if it were their favorite pub, they imagined it as the family they belonged to? What kind of superpowers lie within the body of Christ that haven't yet been awakened? If the dishes are driving you crazy, clean them. If you don't like how tall the grass is, cut it. You can't just lay on the couch and complain about the state of affairs in your homestead. You are not visiting a theme park, you are a part of a family.
This is actually a beautiful thing. You have permission. You get to create the church you are excited about. If you can dream it up, you can invite your friends into the game you've created and play together.
So which are you? A consumer or a creator?
Mike Jarrell oversees coaching, vision and training at Narrow Road Communities in Harrisburg, PA. He also serves as director of the Creo Collective.