The "Churchy" Church

I read a comment on another blog recently that was full of praise for a certain church that was "unchurchy". What does this actually mean, and why would someone think less of a "churchy" church?

For starters, I don't mind saying that churches are full of lost people trying to make themselves feel good by being religious, and they want very little to remind them of the suffering of Jesus Christ for the sins of his people. Real church makes us feel uncomfortable because we know that we haven't arrived, we don't know it all, and we are sinful. This kind of thinking really sobers you up.

No, we don't have to dress in black and go around with long faces, but the fact is that churches are ceasing to function as worship services and opportunities for instruction, reproof, exhortation, and rebuke. You can't expect much fellowship either. Everyone is too busy, and if they do get together and talk about everything under the sun besides spiritual things, they think that is fellowship.

I don't know it all, or even close to that, but I have seen it done differently. As a child, I enjoyed being in the regular (and only) congregation of our local church instead of being whisked off someplace else for my own age group. It gave me something to aspire to, and it wasn't difficult to understand. It was worship, not entertainment.

I enjoyed seeing believers pray earnestly and with tears over sin and concern for the unsaved. It was wonderful to request prayer--even calling people at home-- knowing that they would stop whatever they were doing to pray for you.

Nowadays, the average person goes to church, signs up for various kinds of "do-gooding", and is treated to sermons on "doing your best", caring for elderly parents, or how to deal with stress. People aren't interested in hearing about sin, or, more precisely, specific sins. Preachers don't wish to "meddle" (although they don't mind telling you you're too conservative) .

The Bible says that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags in the sight of God. This is the part most people aren't comfortable with. God says that even the plowing of the wicked is sin. These are not popular topics in the pulpits of America, although at one time they were.

Why is it that people want their kids to grow up with a headful of television/ movies, prowess on the athletic field, all kinds of trashy music, yet don't care to be associated with old-time religion?

Can you imagine someone attending a classical music concert where the orchestra tried to modernize the content and then congratulating themselves on how they've improved upon the old masters. "Ugh, no one plays Bach like that anymore. Times are changing."Maybe this is being done, I don't know, but no one who knows anything about it is really impressed.

People act like you're trying to cheat your children out of something if your expectations for them are traditional, especially when the issue is a moral one, or what should be considered right or wrong. And churches are moving away from the old landmarks as fast as they can.

My family visited with an elderly woman several months ago who lamented, "We used to sing hymns; now we sing praise songs." She didn't like them. I don't either. They are sensual songs that could be sung anywhere and by anyone. I hate the beat and the dumbed-down words. A lot of other people do too, but they can't do much about it because some expert has made the decision for them. (And this is just one aspect of the modern un-churching of churches.)

I like a churchy church.