I had a dream last night (Thursday). It was one of those dreams that was so vivid and real that I woke up disoriented, because my setting had changed instantaneously from the dream to my bedroom. Thoughts of “What’s going on?” “Where am I?” left me a bit dazed and very confused for a moment or two. I could remember each detail of the dream with clarity — even the colors.
In the dream, I was at a very large church that I was familiar with (in dreamland) and it was my first day on the job as a pastor there. I had never been in a more confusing building than this church building, and it was huge… folks… Disney World huge. For the entirety of the dream, I was searching for the location where I was supposed to “do ministry” that day, but I couldn’t find it. I approached the church office and told them who I was and they had no clue that I was a new pastor. They gave me a name tag and some keys and pointed me down the vast church lobby in the direction that I should go.
As I wandered the church building I discovered it had recently been remodeled to fit the popular decorating motif of the day — country and western. LOL — It was a dream, come on! The stairways had old rustic wooden handrails and banisters like a 19th century western saloon. It had a huge restaurant in the lobby and the booths looked like stage coaches… life sized ones! I would later discover that it was but one of many restaurants. The church ushers were wearing those string ties and shiny vests that bartenders wore in those fancy saloons in old western movies. Hmm… perhaps I have been watching too many Bonanza reruns lately…
There were old pews in the sanctuary that made the ones at Maple Street look like they had been designed by Lazyboy. And the sanctuary must have sat 20,000 people in it, but it was mostly empty… as if the service was not starting for 30 minutes. Everywhere I tried to go in the building there were masses of people clogging the way. Those old saloon stairways were a nightmare with people going up and down, up and down. Everyone seemed to be going somewhere in that church building, but never actually getting there.
Finally, I arrived at a location that seemed somewhat familiar. It was the location for the youth ministry. (Once a youth pastor always a youth pastor, I guess… at least in my dreams) Yet while the room seemed familiar… I could recognize some structural familiarity… this area, too, had been completely remodeled. In the center of the room was a huge model train display.
Complete with 19th century buildings and steam locomotives. It took up a large portion of the room. In one corner was a swimming pool. (A swimming pool in a church, maybe I can convince the Elders… yeah… probably not) There were lots of places to sit in group-like settings and even an old fashioned type of soda bar complete with tall glass ice cream soda glasses. Except… there were no kids. The room — though football field size large — was almost completely empty.
In fact, while the building was full of people, no one seemed to be doing any ministry at all, and no one seemed to ever arrive at a Sunday School class, or a bible study or a church service. The restaurants were full though… lots of folks were eating.
Today, the dream is still vivid in my mind… and it has left my heart quite unsettled. Just what value would there be in a large church, decorated in the latest motif, filled with people… if none of these people were actually The Church? If no real ministry ever took place… if the Bible was never taught… if the children were never instructed in the faith…
The Church of Jesus Christ is not effective because of a building… or a program… or the latest ministry philosophy… or even a well-designed church service. The Church of Jesus Christ is effective when its people are effective disciples. When the folks live out the calling of Christ to love God and others well… and to take the Gospel to wherever it needs to be known. I don’t want to be part of a church that is known for its building or programs. Not one based upon a personality or a light-show worship band. I want to be part of a church where its people want to be like Christ. May that be true of Christian Alliance Church! And also, maybe that old-fashioned Ice Cream Soda Fountain… because I DO like milkshakes.
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