Italian Suits

“Tourist traps and public-relations stunts draw attention to themselves, but signs point to something beyond themselves- a destination or a path or something worth noticing.” Brian McLaren

John 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the father except through me.

Most churches are a lot like a tourist trap, you stop by because something big is going on or they are giving something away or they have a unique looking facility. You swing by and get drawn in by their flashy preacher, slick media, or hype based worship. After a while you realize that there is nothing more to the church than flash and you find yourself spiritually dead. Margie and I went to a church just like the one I described. Their preacher used a lot of props and interested preaching gimmicks to keep you interested. The worship was slick; they had renewed musicians playing the hottest worship tunes available. Seriously, the fiddle player traveled the world with the Dixie Chicks, Charlie Daniels, and so on. You left the timed church service feeling like you had just been to a movie or play. You felt very entertained. But is that what church is supposed to be? Better yet, is that what our faith has been lowered to? Has God become nothing more than another form of weekend entertainment?

Christianity has become the most marketed religion, in my opinion. Sure Karma had a good run but Christianity brings in the big bucks and in an effort to capture some of the money churches have stepped it up. We have made church sharper, slicker, and more user-friendly. The problem is Jesus, whom we have loosely based most of our churches after, wasn’t slick, sharp, or efficient. In fact, when He preformed miracles He would tell people to keep quiet about them. One would think that a miracle would be the greatest marketing method ever. If I healed one blind guy I could travel the globe in my person jet holding mass rallies everywhere. People would be chanting my name as I walked out on stage in my gaudy Italian suit. But Jesus didn’t use His miracle working power for his own good. He healed people as a sign, a sign that would make others wonder. Signs point to something bigger than themselves.

God has really been pushing me to make sure my life is pointing people to Jesus.