DEPOSITORY

How often have we been told that the Church is like a filling station where we can get renewed or recharged? We assume it has endless resources. For me, it is very bad news. The Church is not a storehouse or a filling station but a “Depository.” It is a place where the members deposit their dues, their deeds, their manners and all the other things good or bad. It is from what the members deposit others take or exchange. We must not be surprised when we take back things that are not to our liking.

We regard the Church as a place of worship and service. With the exception of a visitor, we render service to ourselves. In worship, we get psyched and feel elevated; but some times, we feel humiliated and discouraged. The musicians were not singing nor playing our songs. The individuals that performed showed a bit too much of themselves. The pastor is generally right on with a few sour notes in between. Then we do not necessarily come to hear the pastor. Primarily, we come to see each other, visit together, share some things, have refreshments and make others aware that we did show up. Above all, it breaks up our week when we go back the following Sunday for more of the same. And if the reception is not to our liking, there are plenty of other churches that are anxious to entertain us with open arms.

When we put it all together, the Church has become like McDonald's or like any other fast food restaurant. We go there with our friends, get filled and come back, after we have sampled some other place to satisfy our taste. When it concerns being filled, McDonald's does better than the Church. Most of the time, except for some odd days, we go to Church to be filled, but come away empty. All that hype about the Spirit just was not there or it was buried in emotionalism. Then all that spiritualism just does not fit into our lives when we have to live and let live in the world. And yes, where are that kingdom we are supposed to be in and that promise of good health and wealth?

The above are not speculations but the way things are. Far too many of us go to Church for the wrong reason. I know for I have been there too many times. We can change things by going on our knees, humble ourselves, confess our false anticipations and feel some strange warming inside of us. It shall be a filling that we can take to Church and it may surprise us that what we have brought shall not match what we shall take back with us. But, please, let us put something worth putting into our Church before me remove too much. After all, if our Church is empty, then we have emptied it.