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!

Revisiting Past Mistakes

Have you ever wished you could go back in time and do something all over again? Maybe you've learned from past mistakes and would like a chance to get it right. I know that I have made lots of errors in life. Sometimes I find myself wishing I could simply yell, "Do over!" and get another shot at things.

A few days ago, I received a call from a friend who has accepted a position as worship minister. Since I served in that capacity for 14 years, my friend called to ask for advice and suggestions. We talked about everything from song selection to rehearsal scheduling. As I continued to reflect on my time in ministry, I was reminded of the many mistakes I had made over the years. Most of my mistakes were not related to music; my failures came in handling people and criticism. I really wish I could go back and do some things differently. I would be much more quick to admit when I had been offended. I would stand up to confrontational people in a loving spirit rather than helplessly withering under their viciously abusive attacks. I would be more patient with those who expressed preferences and opinions about music, worship, and life that were different from mine. I would find a mentor with whom I could freely share my hurts, questions, concerns, and frustrations. I wonder if I had learned these lessons earlier in my ministry and handled some things differently if I would still be actively involved in music ministry today.

Alas, none of us can turn the clock back and take a second stab at past mistakes. The only thing we can do is admit our failures to the One who sees all, ask for forgiveness when necessary, and move forward. It's all part of the process that is spiritual growth. Facing our mistakes is never something we enjoy, but we are certainly made better when we come to terms with our failures. It's only in admitting our errors that we learn how to become better people, ministers, and Christians. For now, I'll continue to look in the proverbial mirror and carefully examine what I find there.

Searching for Home

It's hard to believe that I have been searching for a church home for nearly a year. It's not a situation I am used to. Over the first 40 years of my life, I've been established in 4 churches -- 2 of these while attending college. I never imagined it would be so difficult to find a body of believers to worship with.

Last summer, I left the church I had been involved with for nearly 14 years. Even though time has passed and many wounds have been healed, I know that my departure was the right decision. In the interim, I have visited many churches in the area. I have found two congregations that I like a lot. So what's the problem?

The first church was the one I attended right after leaving my ministry post. The ministers and congregation spoke words of healing to my spirit during a very difficult time. I don't feel as though I fit in though. The church has two services. The early service lines up with my preferred style of worship; the second is attended by those that are my age and younger.

The second church is a large congregation with excellent preaching and extremely friendly people. I had anticipated this being the place that I would settle down and call home. However, because of its size and my general shyness, I have struggled to find my niche. It's just not easy to walk into an established group and become involved without some sort of invitation. It feels as though I've gotten lost in the shuffle.

I'll be the first to admit that I have been part of the problem as well. There is a hesitancy to become involved in a church again because I fear being taken advantage of. I've also struggled with health issues for several months, making my attendance sparse at best. Plus there's the fear of being perceived as a threat to others already laboring there. I've lived through that nightmare too many times already and don't want to face that world of hurt again.

So I find myself continuing to search. It's not been an easy process thus far, but I know it is an important decision. Settling for the easy, convenient solution is simply not acceptable. So I continue my quest for my new church home.