An Unexpected "Church"

While reading the August 4, 2014 issue of Time Magazine, I was introduced to a new movement discussed in the religion section. The article centered on Houston Oasis, the largest of approximately twelve atheist churches popping up around the country. You read it right -- an atheist church.

Under the leadership of a former Christian minister who now declares himself an atheist, Houston Oasis offers Sunday secular gatherings for the atheists and agnostics of the community. The gathering is modeled after the Christian service, providing a time of musical reflection, fellowship with like-minded people, and an informative talk that offers relevant insight to the highly scientific within the confines of a community that is aware of its members' challenges and offers support to one another. A quick visit to the organization's website (www.houstonoasis.org) revealed that Houston Oasis further reflects the typical church by offering opportunities to impact the larger community through financial contributions, volunteer efforts, and support services such as food pantries and personal counseling.

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and sounds like a duck, it must be a duck, right? What separates this atheist church from the Christian church? For many seekers, one of the most inviting differences is Houston Oasis' statement that "human people are of greater importance than human belief."

Before this discussion goes any further, let me clearly state that I am a fervent Christian. In light of the decreased commitment to the contemporary Christian church, however, I think it is important to examine the growing popularity of secular gatherings such as Houston Oasis.

Many churches have placed their emphasis in the wrong places for far too long. We have concerned ourselves with providing ample fellowship opportunities. We've polished our services to include excellent music and a clearly outlined message that includes three points that can be applied to life situations in the coming week. We strive to help the poor with our clothes closets and school supply drives. None of these things are wrong in and of themselves. Honestly, they are all quite commendable. But these things alone make our congregations no different from the atheist churches. That's a hard pill to swallow!

Some will identify the love displayed by the Christian church as the distinguishing feature. I'm not sure that's entirely true. I will go so far as to say that Houston Oasis' efforts are also founded in genuine love and compassion for their fellow man. While the source of love may be different for the atheist and the Christian, the one receiving experiences both expressions of love in much the same way.

So then, what makes the Christian church different from the atheist gathering? The only thing that can possibly distinguish our Christian gatherings and outreach efforts from available secular offerings is an unquestionable anointing of the Holy Spirit. Unless we can leave our Sunday services with the undeniable realization that we have been in the very presence of the Most High God, we may as well have called our time together a secular gathering and just move on. Without anointing, lives are not transformed. Without anointing, our efforts have no eternal impact. Without anointing, our churches are dead and powerless. We desperately need a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit in our churches!

Life changing anointing begins with the individual and will spread like wildfire to the entire congregation. A healthy church is either experiencing anointing or desperately seeking it. The only other option for a church is staleness, meaningless ceremony, and spiritual death. If you find yourself in one of these dead congregations, don't waste another minute! Seek out life changing anointing that will change the world and, in the process, will forever change you.

Lord, send anointing to me!