Thursday, July 11, 2013

Will you miss me when I'm gone?

In the opening chapter of his letter to the Colossians, Paul is glowing in his praise of the Christian community.  He writes:

"For we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all God's people."

How that must have lifted the spirits of this 1st Century Christian community.  But to me it communicates a slightly different message today.  In my mind it raises the question:

Has anyone even heard of our faith in Christ Jesus or our love for all God's people?

Several authors expressed a similar idea from another angle.

What are we know for?  How many people, besides the members of the church, would care if for some reason we closed the doors of our church?

All excellent questions.  All ones churches are either failing to ask or afraid to answer.

Maybe the decline of church membership and the institutional church is a good thing. Maybe it will force us to ask ourselves:

Will anyone miss the church when it's gone?  And why?