What do I Expect from the Church?

The simple word, church, evokes an infinite variety of images. Some think of a building of a particular architectural style from little, white Congregational meeting houses to the transcendent, dark interiors of gothic cathedrals. Then, of course, there are those that will tell you the Church is the people. Church makes us think of worship, Sunday school and choirs.

The images that come to mind probably have to do with experience and expectations. If you grew up going to church, the experience shaped how you think about church. You have either accepted your experience as good and proper, or have made the decision to launch in a new direction. Our formative exposure to church is powerful and it often operates beneath the intellectual realms on a more emotional level. We often describe Church as home because it generates certain a feelings of safety, comfort and intimacy.

It is good, from time to time, to consider our deeply-held expectations. As humans, we are gifted with self-consciousness and it is appropriate to make use of our gift. All too often, we react in careless, self-centered ways because we are stuck on the feeling level. When we find our expectations challenged, we often respond on an emotional level, and we are not doing our best thinking.

I think we expect too little from the Church. We have relegated the Church to the sidelines, making her a warehouse of sentimentality and not enough substance. We have become victims of the quest for a superficial sense of well-being. We have accepted a fleeting time of inspiration and introspection as the substance of the Gospel.

The Church is suffering in many ways as a result of low expectations. We see declining attendance patterns across denominations. We see decline in giving patterns across denominations. I believe it is all tied to our low expectations. I can go anywhere on Sunday morning to have a little moment. Why would I support a place that exists only to give me a moment, once a week?

The Church, God’s vehicle of grace, redemption, mission and life in the world, exists for a much higher purpose. We are called to proclaim the Good News of Christ in all the world. We are called to go out into the world baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We are called to make the Kingdom of God present through our communion and fellowship. We are called to be recognized by how we love each other. We are called to work in the world to meet real need. This is what God expects the Church to be.

If we are God’s vehicle, if we respond in faith and love, if we remember who we are called to be, the obstacles will give way. Our buildings will be jammed with people seeking God. Our stewardship campaigns would be successful beyond measure, because we would be invested in the abundant vision of the Gospel.

Through God’s grace and mercy, may the Church give way to meet God’s expectations, not ours.