Vertical isn't always fun
I recently attended a stop on the Vertical Church tour. Essentially, the premise of the evening was that God doesn't attend church anymore because we've stopped praising him, instead choosing to focus on attracting and keeping people. The corollary premise is that if we return to making church about God again, he will show up, offering His life-altering presence, and "when God shows up, it's time to order more chairs."
It has an intuitive appeal, and there is a lot of truth to it. But I'm not so sure people really enjoy the presence of God that much, or that consistently. God shakes things up, in often less than subtle ways. It's sometimes painful, sometimes scary. It's not always an amazing worship set and a wam fuzzy feeling inside. Sometimes he destroys our lives because they weren't focused on Him. And when it happens to us, while painful, it's the most meaningful and rewarding experience possible.
But if we're eying to attract outsiders with "Come on in, God will mess you up!!!" That might be a little more difficult sell than we'd like. But Jesus didn't pull any punches, and neither should we.
Created 8 months ago
