Church Shopping

Church shopping, when did that phrase start? I wonder what the 12 disciples would have thought of that term? Anyway, the term is there and that is what our family has been doing since the beginning of summer.

It seems that each of the four of us has our own idea of what we want in a church. There are so many choices out there, and so many options. Locations, denominations, worship style, clothing choices, kids activities, teen activities (I still can't believe I have a teen!), small groups vs. Sunday school, etc, etc. I can't help but think back to the summer of 1993. That summer was spent in the mountains and jungle areas of Papua New Guinea with New Tribes Missions, learning the basics of mission studies, language acquisition, Bible study...basically all the nuts and bolts of what it takes to be a missionary.

In PNG there was no option of what church has the best media, music, drama, which one was closest or had a coffee shop. We got up early, hiked through mud and jungle, through a couple of villages and after quite a bit made it to this clearing. Finally, there was the church! Complete with an outhouse with wooden seats (that was an improvement, believe it or not). Being that there was no sound system, most people sat as close to the front as possible...besides there were people in the back with sticks that would poke you if you dozed off! Not that dozing was very easy considering the rough log planks in place of padded backed chairs and the open windows and doors in which chickens and pigs attempted to come in. Wow, thinking back on that, I'm not sure I'd be comfortable taking any of the tribal members to a church here in America. I'd be embarrassed as they overheard us church members complain about the fact that the song wasn't our favorite, or we had to walk 1/2 block to the church, or the line in the ladies bathroom, or that it was too warm, too cold, that the service ran over by 5 minutes, or any other number of things that we commonly complain about. Oh yeah, and forget about the pew Bibles or the argument over KJV or other versions. Bibles there were scarce and considered a prized possession. The closest I have ever seen anyone here touch their Bible and hold it in that kind of awe, reverence and love is Kay Arthur at the Deeper Still conference in Atlanta in 2008. Went to church in Honduras also, a vast improvement to be sure, but still a cinder block building with a dirt floor, and open window holes and doorways.

I digress and I certainly don't mean to look down on the churches we have in the United States. And I know all churches aren't the same. Don't get me wrong, it is with MUCH gratitude that I sit down in a padded seat, in my comfy jeans and flip flops, holding a fresh cup of java, praising the Lord along with a rocking worship band, opening my Bible to study it without fear of repercussions, all while knowing my kids are safe and happy in a service catered specifically to their ages. I've enjoyed visiting area churches, have met some great fellow believers, but now I'm ready to settle down and find a place not where I'm there to decide, with my consumerism attitude, if that church has all our family is looking for...but where we can jump in, serve and be part of the body of Christ.