Today, I am thinking about two very different things: my church and Crossfit, P90X, Insanity and all of those intense exercise programs. Recently, I read a Time magazine article about Crossfit. Most people have heard of it, most often from your super-fit, happy, energetic friends who post on Facebook or tweet about their intense workouts, glorifying in all the pull-ups, push-ups, dead-lifts, squats, etc, they can do. These programs push people hard and obtain obvious, reliable results. Their devotees are fanatical and evangelical. Clients love their work-outs and they are quick to encourage anyone they meet to join them. There are some critics, of course, people who incurred injury from working out too hard, or people who criticize the intense methods. Does Crossfit apologize or justify its methods and philosophy in the face of criticism? No! They just say, “Hey, it takes hard work to get results.” (My paraphrase there.) My friends who work out seriously wear their hard work as a badge of honor. They joke about the times they worked out until they puked, and about how sore they were after a certain set of exercises. They pushed themselves beyond their limits and they have the fitness and physique to show for it. I honestly admire them.
So, what does this exercise franchise have in common with church? Well, my church also builds people up, spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally. Through worship. fellowship, and service, Christians embody the Holy Spirit in the world. Mine is not a sit-down and relax kind of church, at least not most of the time. Although we enjoy each other and have a good time, there is always some intense project going on: rummage sales, vacation bible school, turkey dinner, live nativity, fish fry dinners. I can already mark my church calendar by fundraisers and service projects, as much as by Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, or Advent.
Recently, in a church meeting, at least one person mentioned that some prospective members are scared away by all of our activities. Sometimes people say, “I couldn’t join your church--you work too hard.” If faced with that comment, I would probably respond with, “Oh, well, it’s really fun. Many hands make light work. You really get to make some good friends, you know...” I would gloss over it, apologize, and make it seem less than it is. That’s the way to lure people into church, right? You invite them with potlucks and parties, you woo them with worship, and then you lower the boom of service, after you have them hooked. Because people don’t want to work that hard.
That begs the question: how come we (as a society) will work until we puke at the gym but we can’t muster up the energy to serve in a soup kitchen? Why do churches seem to apologize for pushing their parishioners to grow in service to Christ while gyms delight in pushing their clients to grow their fitness? What would happen if churches quit apologizing and started selling hard work as the path to growth? I don’t mean a ticket to heaven. I honestly believe Jesus meant what he said about saving ALL the sinners. We don’t have to organize a rummage sale or play Mary in the live nativity to earn divine grace. Still, exposure to divine grace has a peculiar side effect: it makes people WANT to organize rummage sales, plan vacation bible school, and act in live nativity plays. The Holy Spirit makes people WANT to serve. Churches grow spiritual service and sacrifice as clearly as gyms grow biceps and triceps muscles. Churches push their people to love more, give more, sacrifice more, all for the good of the community, in the name of Christ. Can you imagine if churches were honest and proud of the work they expect? If church ad campaigns sounded like this: “Christ90X--the rest of your life dedicated to service!” “Insanity Worship--the Holy Spirit meeting you wherever you are--get ready!”, “CrossToBear--lay your life down for others and find God’s loving grace!” Can you imagine if parishioners described their sacrifice as if it were an intense workout? “Dude, I worked so hard on that Turkey Dinner that I almost puked. It was awesome! I feel so filled with the Holy Spirit!” or, “Wow! I am so sore from the rummage sale that I can barely move, but think of all the people we helped. That hard work is really paying off.”
I know it's a crazy idea. Most likely, people would run the other way as fast as their legs would carry them. This is probably the absolute wrong way to evangelize. Churches are supposed to accept all comers, no matter how poor, broken and sad, and serve the community. Churches are not a self-improvement program, they are a place to come into closer contact with God. Still, for a church as well as a workout program, what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.
I don’t know why people don’t come to church; asking me that question is like asking a competitive weight lifter why people don’t want to work out. For the last few years, I almost spring out bed on Sunday morning, eager to pack up my two small children and head to the church. I love Sunday School, worship, and the volunteer activities that go with it. I have no idea why it doesn’t work for other people. I do know there are lots of people interested in personal, spiritual growth who do not go to church. Maybe they have had hurtful experiences, maybe they have too many commitments, maybe they can find God just fine all on their own. I don’t know and I am certainly not judging anyone. I just wonder if they know what they might be missing. I wonder if they really understand the riches waiting for them behind the red doors. To me, church feels good. Yes, it’s work, it’s a challenge, it requires sacrifice, effort and discipline, just like a tough workout. And, just like a challenging workout, the rewards are reliable and obvious--peace, love, and the grace of God reflected in your fellow man. What if the sign outside the church said, “Come on in! Be challenged! Do things you did not know were possible! The rewards are well worth the effort!”
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