Pastor William Cwirla has
provided a terrific little resource here. It is...let us say...whimsical in
style, and thus, in my opinion, all the more effective.
Pastor Cwirla gives permission
to use this, but please do give credit, where credit is due.
by Pastor William Cwirla
Back
in 1996 when we had our old, award winning web site running at full steam, I
did a piece on church shopping, which turned out to be one of our more popular
pieces. It turned up all over the place, sometimes with due credit given,
sometimes not. The first believers "had all things in common." So
copy me if you want. Just remember, I tend to do the same with others. Let the
reader understand.
Much
water has gone through the baptismal font since those heady days. A lot of
church shoppers have come and gone through the turnstiles. Some have stayed,
some have moved on to other places. Some shop 'til they literally drop, which
we are all destined to do sooner or later. I'm still at the same place doing
the same Word and Sacrament ministry week in and week out, in season and out of
season. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so the agenda
doesn't change. My style is a bit less formal and academic, and somewhat more
in tune with my south side of Chicago upbringing. (Go White Sox!).
"Abrasive," some call it. I shoot for about 60 to 80 grit, enough to
cut below the layer of religious varnish.
At
the behest of Jeff Schwarz, Todd Wilken, and the Issues, Etc. crew, I've
decided to take a fresh look at church shopping and write this "millennial
edition" of the church shopper's guide for the 21st century. Things are
even crazier than seven years ago when I wrote the first one. The confessional
lines are blurry beyond an ecumenist's wildest dreams. The Episcopalians have
seen fit to ordain an out of the closet homosexual to the office of bishop -
Scripture and 2000 years of tradition not withstanding. Sects and wacky
religions are on the rise. We are a very "religious people." Liberals
are acting like a homely girl who can't get a date to the prom and will dance
with anyone. Conservatives are nipping at each other like a tank load of
piranhas who ran out of feeder goldfish. Moderates continue to steep in their
lukewarm Laodicean bubble bath saying, "Couldn't we all just get
along." And Pontius Pilate is still asking, "What is truth?" and
not getting much of a straight answer.
People
are shopping in the religious marketplace. Some are committed Christians,
others are casual seekers. Americans are natural born shoppers. We love to peep
in the windows and handle the merchandise. We're always on the prowl for
something new. It sure beats commitment. Church shopping is a spiritually
debilitating occupation. I don't recommend it to anyone, unless you positively,
absolutely have to do it. And then don't do it for any longer than is
necessary.
I'm
going to give you a few things to think about on your shopping trip - twelve in
case you're counting. And then twelve dos and don'ts. Why twelve? No particular
reason except that 12 happens to be one of those biblical "lucky
numbers" like 3, 7, 10, and 40. Twelve tribes of Israel, twelve apostles,
twelve foundations under heavenly Jerusalem. It's better than six.
The
first four are the really big ones. Tie them to your foreheads and bind them on
your wrists next to your WWJD bracelet. The other eight are there to round out
the list and give you some things to think about while you're sipping your
latte at Starbucks on Sunday morning and pondering where to go to church. So
here goes.
1.
Is the church Christ-centered?
A
spoked wheel without a hub can't spin. It can be missing a spoke or two, or
even be slightly out of round, but without the hub at the center, the wheel
won't work.
Without
the death and resurrection of Jesus for the forgiveness of the sinner and the
life of the world firmly in the middle of a church's teaching, preaching, and
practice, it's hold on Christianity will be tenuous at best. Being
"biblical" isn't enough. Some churches like to say they're
"Bible-believing" churches. That sounds good, but the Bible wasn't
nailed to a cross for the forgiveness of your sins. Christian churches are
"Christ-believing," and you can't get more biblical than that.
It's
all about Jesus, or it isn't particularly Christian. It's not about how much I
love Jesus, but how Jesus loves me (and you) to death. It's not about what
would Jesus do (WWJD) but what did Jesus do for you (and for the world)
(WDJD4U).
2.
Is the church confessional and creedal?
A
creed is a formal statement of belief, a church's public confession of what it
believes, teaches, and confesses.
"Doctrine
divides" and "Deeds not creeds" you say. Yeah, I read the bumper
stickers too. It's all nonsense of the first order! The Christian faith is not
something you make up as you go along. And it doesn't come through private
one-on-one conversations with God while driving on the freeway. The Ethiopian
had the company of Philip along with the Scriptures in his chariot (Acts
8:26-40). And he wasn't driving the chariot!
The
Christian faith is "the faith once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).
In other words, what we believe is what Christians have always believed since
Pentecost. Look and listen for things like the Apostles' creed, which goes all
the way back to the 2nd century. Or the Nicene creed (AD 325). Or even the
Athanasian creed (5th century). Lutherans have a whole book called the Book of
Concord which was pulled together in 1580. It's our public statement of what we
believe and don't believe. Now that's confessional!
You
say, "But that's a bunch of old stuff written by dead guys. What about
today?" I say, "Look. The church has been around longer than Billy
Graham, Dwight Moody and the last crusade at Anaheim Stadium". We're
talking almost 2000 years of history here. As the old saying goes, "Those
who are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat its errors." The old
creeds keep us from reinventing the faith and praying to our "Father-Mother
in heaven" or whatever other paganism is in style these days.
If
a church can't put down in writing what it believes and teaches, maybe it
doesn't believe anything at all.
3.
Is the church sacramental?
Isn't
that the capital of California? No, that's Sacramento, which, though it shares
a verbal connection, has absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the
sacraments. Believe me; I live in California.
"Sacraments"
are rituals established by God in which God reveals Himself to be gracious to
us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Don't be surprised that
God works through rituals. He's always worked through rituals. Even in the
Garden, there was a ritual. Don't eat from a certain tree in the middle. Eat
from any other tree, including the Tree of Life, but not that tree. An action
and a word - ritual. In the Old Testament, God worked through the ritual blood
sacrifices of the temple and the ritual of circumcision. In the New Testament,
He works through Baptism, the preached Word, and the Lord's Supper.
God
is sacramental; so are we. That's how He wants to deal with us. Deal with it.
As
long as we're talking sacraments, let's talk baby baptism, shall we?
Sacramental churches baptize their babies. This isn't some kind of weird
medieval magic or religious superstition. It's simply the recognition that God
promises to work through Baptism to make Jesus' death and resurrection
personally our own. In Baptism, we are individually and personally buried with
Jesus in His death (Romans 6:4). It's our washing of rebirth and renewal by the
Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). The cross says, "Jesus died for all."
Baptism says, "Jesus died for you."
Baby
baptism has been around since Jesus commanded His disciples to "make
disciples of all the nations" (Mt 28:19-20) and the first households were baptized
(Acts 2:29). Anyone who says, "The Bible doesn't say to baptize
babies," is arguing from a vacuum of silence. The Bible doesn't say not to
baptize babies, either. And the Bible doesn't say to "dedicate" them,
so I'll see you, raise you, and call the hand. Only occasionally in the early
centuries did anyone challenge baby baptism, but they were challenging the
status quo not a novelty. It wasn't until the 16th century and the Reformation
that some fringe types started baptizing the already baptized because they
didn't like Roman Catholics; hence the name "Anabaptists" (ana =
again, baptizo = to baptize, anabaptist = to baptize again). The Anabaptists
are the theological forerunners of many protestant Christians in America today.
What
a church says about baby baptism tells you a lot about what it believes
concerning salvation. If salvation is a transaction in which God does His part
and we in turn do our part, then baby baptism makes no sense at all. Better to
wait until the kid is old enough to decide and seal the deal for himself.
But
if salvation is entirely God's doing, accomplished the death of Jesus on the
cross and given to us freely, gratis, by grace, without our works or decisions,
while we are still spiritually stone cold dead (Ephesians 2:4), then baby
baptism makes all the sense in the world. The kid does nothing except get wet
and kick a little bit; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do it all. "By
grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is
the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesian
2:8-9). Let's not throw the baby out of the baptismal bath water.
As
long as I'm tooting the sacramental horn, a few words for the wise about the
Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper consists of bread and wine (yes, Virginia,
that's bread and wine, not crackers and grape juice or whatever else someone
might serve up on the Sunday menu) together with the words of Jesus spoken on
the night He was betrayed: "This is my body given for you."
"This is my blood shed for you." You heard Him right. The bread is
Jesus body, and the wine is Jesus blood. Not represents, symbolizes, signifies,
stand for, or any other clever way of ducking the word "is." Don't
ask me how, I don't know; I just work here. It just is. "Is" still
means "is" in sacramental churches.
Sacramental
churches tend to have the Lord's Supper frequently, usually weekly or even
more. That's because they actually believe you receive something important,
namely, the body and the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ for the forgiveness
of our sins. If all you get is bread and wine and a fond memory of Jesus, three
or four times a year is enough. You may as well go to brunch. The bread and
wine are usually better at brunch than in church anyway.
Sacramental
churches usually tend to practice some form of "closed communion." It
tends to come with the confessional territory. Some congregations are fairly
open, others are tight as a drum. Some ask that you speak with the pastor
before you approach the altar, others want you to take 100 hours of classroom
instruction and a driving test. The point is that the Lord's Supper is not a
"y'all come down if the Spirit moves you" kind of meal. Neither was
the Passover that came before it.
A
word of warning, and I mean this seriously. The Lord's Supper can kill you, and
I'm not talking about catching some nasty germs by drinking from a common cup.
It happened to some folks in Corinth who were elbowing the poor out of the food
line at the church's potluck and coming to the altar as though they were
bellying up to a bar in Vegas. They got sick and died for the way they
communed! (1 Corinthians. 11:27-32). So don't get bent out of shape if the
pastor says he doesn't think you ought to commune that day. He probably has
your health and well-being at heart. You ought to thank him.
I
recommend that church shoppers refrain from communing until they settle in at a
place. The Lord's Supper is more than your little personal time with Jesus.
It's a deeply communal form of worship, where believers are visibly united with
each other in the one Body of Christ. "Because there is one loaf, we, who
are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf" (1
Corinthians. 10:17). That kind of unity suggest a certain sense of commitment,
don't you think?
If
you desire to receive the Lord's Supper as a guest in a congregation, please be
so kind as to introduce yourself to the pastor beforehand and be prepared for
some meaningful conversation. It will save you potential embarrassment later,
and it's the polite thing to do. Imagine sitting down to dinner, and all of a
sudden, a total stranger comes through the door, sits down at your table, and
asks you to pass the mashed potatoes. I think you'd at least want to know his
name, wouldn't you? Enough said.
4.
Is the church liturgical?
Smells
and bells versus praise bands and projection screens. Everything from Gregorian
chant to Jesus-palooza 2003. Welcome to Worship Wars!
I
refuse to take up arms. Call me old fashioned, but I stick with the tried and
true vintages, straight from the church's cellar. Liturgical churches use a
fixed order of service that's more or less repeated from Sunday to Sunday. The
repetition has been going on now for almost 2000 years, so it has a pretty good
head of liturgical steam, if not smoke, behind it. Liturgical churches tend to
use a book or some kind of printed order of service that wasn't made up from
scratch on Friday. Projection screens belong in movie theaters, in my less than
humble opinion. Don't we stare at screens enough every day?
Though
it's often called "traditional worship" by those who engage in
"contemporary worship," that's really only half the truth. Liturgical
worship is historic worship, the way Christians have been worshipping for
nearly 2000 years. Some of the phrases of the liturgy go all the way back to
the New Testament. Liturgical worship is also biblical worship, not in the
sense that the Bible demands we worship this way, but that nearly every word of
the liturgy is a quotation from Scripture. Liturgical worship is also
Christocentric worship, with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the
forgiveness and life of the sinner right in the middle of everything. That's
the important one, remember?
Liturgical
services are usually two part affairs. There's the service of the Word, which
consists of readings from Scripture and a sermon on one or more of the
readings. And there's the service of the Sacrament, or Lord's Supper. Hymns and
psalms are sprinkled in, along with the creed and a few other things like the
offering. It can be a bit confusing to the newcomer. Historic liturgy, like
decent red wine, is an acquired taste, especially for us brain damaged
Americans whose fingers are always on the remote. But hang with it long enough,
and you too can learn the age old new song of salvation along with the angels,
archangels, and all the company of heaven.
"Do
you have to worship this way," people always ask me. "Not
necessarily," I say with a Gospel smile. "We don't necessarily have
to do anything. But what else would you do?" OK, so I'm biased. String me
up by my stoles and chasuble. Some people don't mind lurching around in a
liturgical Yugo. For my money, the historic liturgy is a classic Bentley, which
I try to keep in good running order and up to contemporary emission standards.
"Therefore
let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let
us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for our God is a
consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:28-29).
OK,
there you have it. The top four things to think about as you're shopping around
for a church. If you haven't written me off as some kind of closet Catholic
who's sniffed a little too much incense in his college days, then let's quickly
move through the other eight in no particular order.
5.
What does the church teach concerning the Bible?
Let's
be clear. The Bible is the Word of God. Period. It doesn't just contain the
Word of God or become the Word of God when you believe it. It is the Word of
God, apparent warts and all. The Scriptures are inspired (literally breathed
out) from God (2 Timothy 3:14-16). They're not intended to make you healthy or
wealthy but wise to your salvation through faith in Jesus. The Scriptures are
useful for doctrine, for rebuking (and we all need a little rebukin' now and
then), for correction and for training. Watch how a church uses the Bible,
especially those uncomfortable passages. If they're picking and choosing,
they're probably making things up on the fly.
6. Does the congregation
believe, teach, and confess the Triune God - the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit - three Persons in one divine Being, as the only true God?
Basic, but it needs to be said. Many so-called
"mainline" churches pray to a "Father-Mother" god or a
Creator-Redeemer-Sanctifier god in the interest of inclusivity and political
correctness. This is more than a matter of words. If a church can't say
"Father, Son, and Holy Spirit" something has gone terribly wrong. The
historic creeds and liturgy, if they are taken seriously, will help keep things
in line.
7. Does the congregation
believe, teach and confess that all people are by nature sinful in the eyes of
God?
Yes,
I know that all that "poor, miserable sinner" stuff can be a real
blow to the self-esteem, but denial doesn't change the truth. Churches that
deny we are sinners to the core tend to push for self improvement as the way to
salvation, as though you have within you the power to change and improve.
Remember, we're not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.
8. Does the congregation
teach that sinners are justified (declared righteous) by God's grace (His
undeserved favor) through faith (trust) for the sake of Jesus (on the basis of
His sacrificial death)?
Sounds
amazing, but it's true. We're innocent in God's eyes all thanks to a dead and
risen Jesus. This is the central teaching of Christianity. Without it, a church
can't really be called "Christian," no matter how religious it might
otherwise appear. You may hear many religious and even inspiring things during
the course of a service, but did you hear that Jesus Christ died on a cross,
rose from the dead, and reigns at the right hand of God for the forgiveness of
your sins and for His sake, pardon, peace, forgiveness, and eternal life are
yours in His name? If you didn't hear something like that, then what you heard
wasn't distinctively Christian.
9. Does the congregation
distinguish God's commands, threats, and punishments from His promises of
forgiveness, life, and salvation in Jesus Christ?
Ever
read the Bible and wonder whether God is talking out of two sides of His mouth?
Or even if He has two mouths? We call that the Law and the Gospel. The Law is
what God demands from us - absolute perfection, not just a good try. The Law is
a mirror, reflecting how bad things really are with us. It also instructs and
guides us, and serves to curb some truly bad behavior. But the Law is always
going to accuse you and make you feel bad about yourself. That's probably why
people don't like to see the Ten Commandments in public places.
But
don't despair! The Law is not God's last Word. You're a sinner, that's true.
And Jesus is the Savior of sinners! That's even truer. The Gospel is "good
news." (That's what the word "gospel" means - good news.) The
good news is that Jesus bore your sin in His body on the cross. Jesus didn't
come to condemn the world, but to save it in His death (John 3:16-17). There is
nothing we can do to save ourselves, and there is nothing we need to do. Jesus
has already done it all - for you and for all. He said so when He died.
"It is finished" (John 19:30). He calls you to believe that, trust
Him, take Him at His Word and live in His freedom.
What
about good works? Don't we have to do something to please God? Well, yes and
no. We don't do good works in order to please God. We can't. But we want to do
good works because we believe we are already pleasing to God on account of
Jesus. Works always follow faith. When we believe that God is at peace with us
in the death of Jesus, we're free to do what pleases Him. The Christian life is
not about trying to become pleasing to God, but serving God who is pleased with
us in His Son Jesus. It's not like the Army slogan, "Be all that you can
be." It's more like, "Be all that you already are in Jesus."
10. What opportunities for
teaching does the congregation have?
Disciples
are made by baptizing in the triune Name and teaching (Matthew 28:19-20). Not
one or the other, and not in any particular order. Baptism occurs once in a
lifetime; teaching takes a whole lifetime. You don't need a weekly calendar
crammed full of targeted small group Bible studies ("The Soccer Mom's
Bible Study"), but a steady diet of Scripture and doctrine for young and
old alike is a good sign.
11. Does the church have any practices that encourage
people to behave in a strange or abnormal manner?
Major
red flag here! Barking, babbling, uncontrolled laughter, fainting, fits, and
convulsions are most assuredly NOT signs of the Holy Spirit's presence. They
may be the sign of unclean spirits, in which case you don't want anything to do
with this. If this is happening, leave that place immediately, do not pass Go
and by all means do not collect $200 (or contribute it). God is not a God of
disorder but of peace who does things in a decent and orderly way (1
Corinthians. 14:33,38).
12. Is the congregation in fellowship with other
Christian congregations or does it stand alone?
Watch
out for the "Lone Rangers" of religion, especially if they claim some
"new revelation" or special teaching that no one else has. A new
teaching is probably an old heresy recycled. The prophet Elijah once thought he
was the only true believer left in the land of Israel. He was off by 6,999 (1
Kings 19:18).
1.
Do shop for churches "concentrically." Start with the congregations
closest to where you live. The closer you live, the more you can be involved in
its life. Can't find a decent church within a reasonable distance? Perhaps your
living room might be the start of a new congregation in the area. That's how
many churches got started. But don't start there.
2.
Do be so kind as to leave your name, address, and phone number so that the
church can contact you if they want. Don't feel compelled to leave an offering,
unless you truly desire to make one. (Don't let my budget committee see this
one!)
3.
Do attend more than one service before moving on. Don't let your first
impression be your only one. Churches, like people, have bad hair days too.
4.
Do make arrangements to speak with the pastor of the congregation as soon as
possible.
5.
Do introduce yourself to congregation members and talk with them. You'll learn
a lot. Don't sit on the fringes. Christianity is not a spectator sport.
6.
Don't get sucked in by programs and music. Remember, this is worship, not
entertainment. Music can be manipulative.
7.
Don't lead with your heart; use your head. Christianity is about the objective
fact of salvation in Jesus Christ, not feelings.
8.
Don't be put off if the service seems out of touch with the culture. The Church
is supposed to be the embassy of a kingdom not of this world.
9.
Don't expect any congregation or pastor to be perfect in practice.
10.
Do plan on joining. Church shopping should be a temporary phase, not a way of
life.
11.
Do look and listen for Jesus Christ crucified in the middle of everything.
12.
Do pray that God would lead you to a faithful, Christ-centered, sacramental,
liturgical congregation that proclaims the faith of Christ crucified and risen
for your salvation.
By
the way, if your church shopping brings you in the neighborhood of Hacienda
Heights, drop in at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on Newton Street and introduce
yourself. We'll leave a light on for you.
The Rev. William M. Cwirla, The Feast of the Holy
Cross, 2003