Pop

 My youngest and I attended services last Sunday at a rockin’ loud megachurch in an Atlanta suburb. (And there’s a story behind that – for another day.) Many things to commend in that place . . . other things we questioned . . . and lots of things that were simply not for us. But at the very least, the sermon succeeded in sparking some meaningful conversation between us.

(May I add a side note about how awesome it is to have reached a stage where I can have meaningful, insightful, and challenging spiritual conversations with my daughters? Despite all my mothering mistakes . . . God is good, y’all.)

Specifically, we ended up talking about some of the things I wrote in my last blog post. The conviction we both feel about drawing people to Jesus, but having no idea how to effectively do that. Invite them to church? Not likely. For a handful of people, that may be a good idea, but really only for people who are already on a path searching for God, and there aren’t a lot of those around, it seems.

That strikes me as a big change in society since I was my daughter’s age. Most people I knew back then (and maybe I just ran in limited circles?) at least were familiar with church culture, or at least had some respect for the good in "religion", or at least didn’t resent Christians. Not only are the born-again believers well in the minority in America now, but the number of unbelievers who even see Christianity in a positive light is dwindling, too.

And to be fair, the church probably has itself to blame for that. Lord knows, we have screwed a lot of things up. We frequently do. The worst thing about the church is all the messed-up people . . . although, ironically, that’s also the best thing. As I’ve said before, one of the most valuable pieces of parenting advice (and life advice) I ever got was that my children’s biggest faults are usually the flip sides of their greatest strengths. If God gets control of these qualities, they become amazing tools in his hands.

This principle also applies to us sinful snits who fill the pews every Sunday morning (although those pews are less full these days). It’s when we are most reveling in our “righteousness” that we do the most damage. When we own our brokenness and put it in God’s hands, he finds the flip side and uses it to grow his kingdom.

But this won’t impact the Churchophobes out there unless they have more than casual acquaintances with people who follow Jesus. And there are far too many of us Jesus-followers who are too afraid of being “contaminated” by the world to actually engage with it in any meaningful way.

Here’s what I struggle with, y’all: I live in a bubble. A sweet, safe, little churchy bubble. This wasn't intentional on my part; it just happened. I go to church. I teach in a Christian school. I work in a Christian theater. My friends are almost all Christians – in fact, at this moment, I’m hard-pressed to think of anyone in my friend circle (maybe even my acquaintance circle) who does not claim Christianity.

And yes, as I said, in my last post, I feel most equipped and called to minister to that end of the spectrum. But I’m pretty sure I’m kidding myself if I think that fact justifies my continuing to sit in my comfortable little bubble. No, I don’t think Jesus expects me to actively seek to convert a heathen once a week. But he probably does expect me to have some significant relationships with people who need to see his Body in a more positive light. People are drawn to Jesus by meeting him through us. My youngest does that well, and I'm proud of her. I need to follow her example. 

How to make that happen. I don’t know. Something to pray about. Honestly, it may mean giving up some comfortable things that I love in my life to make space for the decidedly uncomfortable. Time to pop my pretty bubble.