Megachurch or Microchurch?

-

Don’t anyone get offended here, but I’m just not a megachurch gal. 

I’m not knocking the phenomenon. Well, maybe a bit. But I’m definitely not knocking the people involved in the phenomenon. I have many loved ones in my life whose faith I don’t question one bit who do the megachurch thing. But it’s not for me. It just doesn’t feel right. On so many levels.

It’s not just that they create a temptation for Sunday mornings (or afternoons or Saturday evenings) to become showtime -- although they do create that temptation. The fact is, when your service meets in a vast auditorium that seats a thousand, the struggle against the performative is real – whether you do worship in a contemporary style with a band and stage lights and special effects reminiscent of a rock concert or do it in a traditional style with a five-hundred voice choir and thirty-piece orchestra. But no, the music isn't my main issue.

It’s the ease of being anonymous in such a large crowd. Of being nothing more than a spectator or consumer.

I’m a regular attender in my little congregation here in SA. I even go to Sunday School every Sunday (and substitute teach once in a while). I’m also a deacon (that will make some of you twitch). But I’ve said many times that I feel like my real church is my middle school team at my school.

We pray together every school morning. We text each other regularly to check in, to share stories and jokes, to celebrate victories. These are the people who brought me meals when I was home for weeks after my hysterectomy – and then just hung out a bit to visit. These are the people who recommend books and podcasts that I really enjoy because they really know me. They know my real struggles beneath the surface. We come from different denominational backgrounds with different worship practices, and we don’t agree on everything theologically – just the important stuff.

But we are the church to each other.

Recently, I came across the term “microchurch”. “Small communities of Christ-followers (minimum of 3, maximum of 20) who have connected their lives together for the purpose of loving God, loving one another, and reaching others with the gospel.”

That's my middle school team. And I realize that I've had other microchurches in my life. Like the cluster of young mothers I hung with in New Jersey. And the group of theater geek believers here at CSDC. 

I think that's what we should be searching for, friends. That small group. Not a once-a-week experience that we enjoy for an hour, no matter how good the preaching is. Because the church is supposed to do life together. Not just Bible study, or praise music, or prayer time, or even service projects or mission trips. 

LIFE.

Find your group. Ask God to bring you your group. Because we all need a legit church of the micro variety.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Talk Less . . .

-
Image
I had never heard of Charlie Kirk before Wednesday night. I still have no real opinion on him because people on the left are just screaming about the horrible things he said and did and people on the right are just screaming about the wonderful things he said and did and I simply don’t have time to do the research to evaluate his actions and beliefs objectively, particularly when I suspect that such research would simply prove to me that he did good stuff and bad stuff just like all the rest of us. The only opinion I have about the man is that he should not have been shot. And the fact that I even need to say that is distressing to say the least. The rhetoric out there about this week’s events is absolutely deplorable. The rhetoric from both sides . The fact that people on the left are saying that he deserved to be killed is deplorable. The fact that people on the right are declaring war on the left is deplorable. I just can’t get over it. I don’t understand when we stopped bein...
Read more

Grumbling and Obeying

-
Image
For your amusement and enlightenment (maybe?), I present a transcript of my inner monologue as I prepared to and mowed the lawn last weekend for the first time in five years. (Note: I will bleep or edit the swear words. Just bein’ real with you, folks. God ain’t done with me yet. And if any of my students’ parents are reading, I promise I never swear at school. Remember, this is my inner  monologue.)   Upon waking in bed : Let’s see. The service is at 10 . . . picking up groceries at 12:30 . . . THE LAWN!   (Much groaning and incomprehensible muttering) I’ll call Javie again. No, he can’t do it. I’ll do it this afternoon. No, it’ll be too hot then. I have to do it this morning. But then I’ll have to shower and everything before the service. Nah, I don’t want to mow. I’ll do it Monday. During my prayer time : Lord, comfort the Blyths today . . . keep Austin safe driving home . . . and . . . and . . . FINE! FINE. I’LL MOW THE @&*$# LAWN. (Note: yes, I occasion...
Read more

Don't Label Me!

-
Image
I ran into an old friend the other day, and we were filling each other in on our kids’ lives. She told me her son recently decided he might be autistic. Well, hmm. She questioned that conclusion (so did I). He had apparently mentioned the idea to his therapist, who had asked, “Well . . . do you rehearse in your head ahead of time conversations you’re going to have with others?” His answer was yes, so the therapist agreed that yes, autism might be a possibility. And I thought, Hmm. I do that sometimes. But no, I am not on the spectrum. In a discussion a few months ago with the doctor fitting my Mandibular Advancement Device (it’s for sleep – a story for another day), I was filling her in on my history of sleep issues and the things I do to try to fall asleep. Such as recite the periodic table of elements – by atomic number or alphabetically. Or list the U.S. presidents – in chronological order or alphabetically (by first or last name) or by party – along with the years they we...
Read more