So, what’s the big deal about the church? What makes it so vital?
It’s a good question that deserves a good answer. Something more than, “You gotta have one to get married in,” or “It’s the place kids oughta be on Sunday.” Or how about, “There’s not a better place to make business contacts.”
Really, now . haven’t you wondered at times if the church is that significant in a day of high-level decisions and powerful international issues? I know many who question its value. How could a congregation of folks carry much clout in our post-modern era of transcontinental missiles, mind-boggling medical discoveries, remarkable space exploration, rancorous political debate, and a disintegrating social culture? Cynicism sets in quickly. So, to counteract all that, let’s go back to the truth. God’s Word reminds us of both the Who and the Why of church:
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Mark 1:35–37
Dave Cowens, former star basketball centre for the Boston Celtics, suddenly disappeared. Without warning, he walked off the practice court, showered, dressed, and drove away. Alone.
He kept driving to . somewhere. His only explanation was the familiar comment, “I need to get my head together.” He added that it could take as little as two weeks or as much as 10 years. The sportscasters, management, team, spectators, and fans couldn’t imagine what he was looking for.
I could.
The Carpenters, a popular folk-song duo of a bygone era, used to do a musical piece that helps explain the superstar’s puzzling reaction. It’s a peaceful soul song that talks about needing a place to hide away . to be quiet . to think things through . to be alone.
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2 Peter 3:10
As my wife and I glance back over our years together accumulating stuff, we have to laugh. Everything fit into the trunk of our ’53 Chevy on our first move. The next move called for a little rental trailer that hauled our things to a tiny apartment for grad school work. Four years, one child, and much more stuff later, we got into our next place (with the help of a couple of good friends who drove big vans) by packing out the biggest multi-wheeled U-Haul they made in ’63. That move was the first time I discovered why places were built with two-car garages. Our one car barely squeezed in.
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Romans 5:8–11
It happens to every one of us. Teachers as well as students. Cops as well as criminals. Bosses as well as executive assistants. Parents as well as kids. The diligent as well as the lazy. Gen Xers as well as millennials. Not even pastors are immune. Or corporation heads who earn seven-figure salaries. The same is true of well-meaning architects and hardworking builders and clear-thinking engineers.
Not to mention pro-ball players, politicians, and presidents.
What? Failure, that’s what. Blowing it. And it happens with remarkable regularity.
Let’s face it, success can be overrated. All of us crave it despite daily proof that our frequent destiny lies in quite the opposite direction. Weakness is the stuff of true greatness. Which brings me to a basic question that has been burning inside me for months: How come we’re so surprised when we see it in others and so devastated when it occurs in ourselves?
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