The Church of the First Adam

[EricRauch]

Until about seven months ago (suspiciously around the time of the presidential election), I never paid much attention to the messages blazoned on the backside of the car in front of me. Lately, however, it seems that bumper stickers have become the last bastion of free speech—the final frontier of public politically incorrect expression. As I was making my way home from work the other evening I saw one that got my attention. It was simple in its design: a website address in white letters on a black background. It was the name of the website that really got me thinking—churchcanbefun.com

In a day where churches are competing for people's time as much as anything else, it makes sense that churches would resort to advertising and marketing to attract new visitors. While polls and surveys still reveal a high number of professing Christians in this nation, church attendance is remarkably low. It seems as though most professing Christians either see no reason or benefit in attending their local church on a weekly or even monthly basis. This lack of connection between profession and attendance has prompted many church leaders to re-evaluate how they "do" church. The idea being that the church needs to justify its existence somehow, that it must give the many families in its communities which claim to be Christian irresistible reasons why they should be in church every Sunday. Apparently, at least one church believes that attendance is low because church is not "fun." They think that if they can succeed in convincing metro-Atlanta communities that "church can be fun," they will be combating a common belief that church isn't fun, thereby increasing attendance at their "fun" church.

I don't doubt the fact that church can be boring to some people. In fact, I find it to be quite boring myself sometimes. But the fact of something being either fun or boring should not be the determining factor of whether or not to attend. Many people find their jobs boring, but this doesn't prevent them from showing up for work each day. Six Flags may claim to be a lot of fun, but the reality is that much of the time spent there is wasted standing in long boring lines. I wonder if we could decrease attendance at Six Flags theme parks by making a bumper sticker that says "Six Flags can be boring." This idea sounds ridiculous because it is. But it does highlight the faulty thinking that permeates a "church can be fun" marketing campaign.

The real problem with church attendance goes far beyond being simply boring or fun. It even goes far beyond the overused catch phrase of the mega-church movement: “relevant.” Where does the Bible claim that church should be fun or relevant? Or to ask the question a different way: What is the purpose of church? Is it only supposed to be a time when believers gather together each week to drop money in the plate and listen to a self-help sermon? If this is the case we could mail our checks in and watch an episode of Dr. Phil instead. The role of the local church is an important and vital one, but the modern idea of "doing" church has gotten so far away from the biblical understanding that it is no wonder that we must resort to advertising and marketing to remind the community that we exist.

The church thus is not essentially a building or an institution, although both can be manifestations of its life. It is a covenant people who believe and apply the covenant law-word to all of life and who seek to bring men, nations, and all spheres of life under the dominion of Christ as Lord. Thus, while the church may be a building and an institution, and both can be important and needed aspects of its life, it is primarily a power and a government at work in the world. [1]

One of the primary driving forces of modern American culture is its focus on youth. We have not only become child-oriented in our parenting, we have also become child-oriented in our lifestyles. We are perennially looking for the next adrenaline rush, the next escape, the next weekend.

During the last half-century, mankind decided that youth was its favorite part of the poem [of life] and discarded the rest. Whereas growing old used to be considered good because it suggested the accumulation of wisdom and the approach of a rendezvous with eternity, it is now considered bad mainly because it means getting too weak and ugly to carry on as one did when eternity was the last thing on his mind. [2]

Is it really any surprise that the church is finding difficulty in reaching the pleasure-seeking dads and moms that populate its communities? The church's primary message is one of responsibility and dominion, not one of escape and retreat. Thomas Aquinas correctly stated that it is "better to illuminate than merely to shine, to deliver to others contemplated truths than merely to contemplate." The church should be in the "illumination and delivery" business, not the "fun and theme park" business. The church has work to do, but this a hard sell to a community full of adult children which have come to view their weekends as a break from the sweat and toil of the "workweek." Maturity is in short supply these days.

What we see now with adults is all too often a continuation of infantile behavior patterns. Maturity is less and less an ideal, and more and more evaded by all too many people. In the 1970s, I wrote, in a Chalcedon Report article, about the absurd and painful appearance of a woman well into her 80s in a bikini bathing suit, imitating a teen-age girl. The response was amazing. Some were highly emotional as they insisted on the "right" of a woman to act as a teenager, whatever her age. Of course, I never denied her freedom to do such a thing; I did question her lack of common sense and maturity!... Maturity is something which does not come from a television set, nor from emotional outbursts. Our growth in sanctification produces maturity, something to work for and enjoy. [3]

Rushdoony's observation in the 1970s is all the more valid today. As long as the church continues to cater to the pleasure-seeker, the "fun-seeker," we can expect the maturity level to decrease. The church is the one place in the community where maturity should be found in high doses. The church should not be teaching and preaching retreat, but advance. The kingdom warriors of the church should be displaying masculine manhood and feminine womanhood for all the world to see. Perhaps church attendance is so low because it has become "fun." "Fun" churches have nothing to offer after the fun wears off. This country needs a good healthy dose of maturity and adulthood and the very place where it should be found is becoming more adolescent and childish. Just as the first Adam was a model of immaturity, the last Adam (Jesus Christ) was the prime example of maturity. The first Adam shirked responsibility, but the last Adam faced it head-on. Jesus should be our example, not Adam. Church attendance should not be the goal, but church faithfulness. If Christ's Church would become less concerned with how many are not sitting in the pews and actually disciple the ones who are, the empty pews will begin to fill as a natural result. The question is: Does the modern church have enough faith to actually begin doing this?

Endnotes:

[1] R.J. Rushdoony, Systematic Theology, as quoted in Christopher J. Ortiz, "Upon This Rock: Rushdoony's Ecclesiology of the Kingdom," Faith For All of Life (July/August 2009), 18.
[2] Arsenio Orteza, "Art for Youth's Sake," WORLD Magazine (June 20, 2009), 36.
[3] R.J. Rushdoony, "Maturity," The Roots of Reconstruction (Vallecito, CA: Ross House Books, 1991), 443-444.

[eengstrom77]

We are living in a nation where entertainment is both the language and purpose of the average American. It makes sense since our collective maturity level is so low and is well documented in this article. I am afraid as a people we will not wake up to the massive loss of freedoms until we can no longer afford our Cable TV, X-Box, and Netflix membership.

[patomalley]

How wonderful to find another who sees what I see in the church, even in my church, one of those mega churches. As a teacher of youth, I have been so concerned about all the 'pew sitters', and their lack of commitment to lead or learn more about caring for others and giving to others(not money but their talents of guidance and love and understanding and nurturing, ETC)only to hear the minister, each Sunday preaching about the need to reach more and more people, but what about all those who are already there? What about their sleeping through sermons, songs, invitations and through life itself. Somehow, we need to be able to reach their hearts to the joy of serving and learning and giving(again, not about money but rather their talents).
Now, actually, church is fun to those who really do hear His call but, sadly most do not hear that call and mostly come out of a sense duty or responsibility. Too sad. As for me and my family, we WILL serve the Lord.


Pat O'Malley

[freedomispopular]

"If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think that's supposed to be fun.

[nathanalbright]

Very true. One could argue, though, that the focus on "relevance" and "fun" is perhaps the last attempt to avoid the responsibility that comes with being the visible manifestation of God's Kingdom on earth. That's a heavy burden to bear when you just want to wear swimming trunks and hawaiian shirts to hear soft rock songs praising how you've found Jesus and that He just wants you to come as you are.

[LadyAvis]

While reading this article it brought back a memory of a long time ago. i missed church one Sunday because I was sick. The pastor of the church came by during the week and instead of asking me how I was doing, said "if you had been there Sunday, we would have had 200". I never went back to that church because I don't want to be just a number on an attendance roster. Being just a number doesn't help me or the Church you go to. Being a member of Christ's Body is what counts. I am disabled now and do not get out to go to church, but I still study my Bible and still try to be as much like Jesus as I can. I am the only member of my household that is a Christian and I try my best to show Christ to them. Hopefully one day I will hear one of my daughters, grandchildren or my husband say, "I believe in Jesus".

[Guest]

Well written. You put into words what I was thinking while sitting in church last Sunday.

[Gazinya]

A smart man once said, "Everyday preach the gospel of Christ and when needed use words." Todays Christian churches have been hamstrung with a self-imposed restriction that they willingly use as an excuse to not preach the Word. In the 'old days' the church was the place to go and sort out the missteps of the community. The pastor used biblical directives to assure and guide the congregation in the daily affairs and the congregation would re-assure each other with the successes of that guidence. The community would be supportive of Godly men and would not suffer a fool to be the mayor, councilman or sheriff. There was a Constitutional demand that a moral and religious people would be the only thing between them and tyranny.

I don't know the exact dates but it hasn't been that long ago that the churches relinquished that dictate to be a moral guide for the sake of 'saving money'. When in 1947 the Supreme Court loaded with the godless ruled it wrong to have God as our Supreme moral guide the churchs said, OK. Then in the fifties the church said that if "The Man" gave them a tax break they would stay silent about their politics. Then in the sixties "The Man" said that teaching, speaking, thinking God was wrong. So, who is having the fun today. If the Church needs to have some fun, let them tell "The Man" that God does not need a tax-exemption and elect people from your own congregation. Support them and campaign for them. Let God have some fun with this world by letting God have fun with you.

[Having Fun in Jesus!]

The Best thing that has ever happened to me is the day I met Jesus. I just thought that I was having "fun" ....but when I finally realized that Jesus did not die to take away my fun, but He died to take away my sin and as long as my fun and my sin were not the same, serving the Lord is FUN! I allowed Him to give me His JOY....which has become my strength! I grew up in an era where everything was a sin & I now know better. Church Can Be Fun.....if those who lead us will lead us in the Joy of the Lord! I have found even in my darkest hour, I can go to my church & find the Joy of the Lord & my heart be encouraged & my life be changed & yes, have fun with my fellow brothers and sisters worshiping the Lord & seeking His face....IT IS FUN! More Fun than the world ever gave me! There is only one more comment that I will make concerning your obviously non-researched article.....the church you are speaking of does an incredible job of speaking truth, givng hope, DISCIPLING New & Old Believers, helping the hurting, reaching the Lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and so much more....if you had done your homework you would have discovered that for yourself!

[On Fire!]

Agreed with "Having Fun With Jesus"! If you have never had fun worshiping, praising, and dancing for Jesus, you are REALLY missing out! Come visit our church and you might see what I mean. The sermons are REAL! It's not about tickling peoples hearts with just the "good stuff" in the Bible, it's about the whole thing! It's not always about making yourself feel better, it's about living a life with Christ and of Christ, following him and striving to be like him. Even when that comes with sacrifice. I completely agree with you that descipleship is VERY important, that is why I am part of Student Leadership. We are training and descipling to grow our faith and learn how to effectively evangelize to the "nonbelievers", or those that don't attend church and don't profess God as their Lord & Saviour. Please open your minds and see what it's all about. It's trying to reach those who are resistant to church because it's "boring" or "pointless". Maybe bumper stickers aren't your thing, but shouldn't witnessing be! Whether it's E-mails or Flyers, Music or bumper stickers, the MODERN church needs to find a way to connect with MODERN peole. God Bless.

[IrishEddieOHara]

This is the logical outcome of Luther's little heresy. I wonder why some folks cannot understand that our words and beliefs have a profound impact on our behavior. This is the result of "justification by faith alone," after all, if I am justified by nothing more than faith, well, shooooooooot, what's the point of sacrifice, of carrying my cross, of striving to be like Jesus. I already have it made in the shade, so what's the point?

The Catholic Faith, on the other hand, exists in the covenantal basis of a relationship with God that is intended to be improved over our lifetime. Thus we are called to deepen our walk with Him through the various means which He has established. The reality of our lives is that we are going to be judged on the Last Day according to the works we have done, and we will receive either eternal life or eternal death based on how we have lived our lives. (John 5: 28-29; Romans 2: 5 - 10).

I think that anyone who would know and take to heart this Truth would not see the Christian life as "funzies" but rather as what the Early Fathers and the first monks described it as -- a struggle to obtain the prize. Kinda like what St. Paul said in Phil. 3: 12-14.

[James]

IrishEddieOHara,

This is a forum for the Christian faith, not the Catholic Faith. The Christian faith exists without the Catholic church.