There is a
reason why traditional churches are closing. It is not mainly because the world
around the church has been hostile to it. There are dozens of reasons I can nominate.
For example,
traditional churches fit elderly people who are probably frail already and not
as energetic as before. They likely have lots of personal issues - it is time for them to sit back. Jesus said - pray to God for laborers to come to the harvest, night time comes when no one can work - and night time has come upon them, John 9:4. What would be the motivation for them to reach out to
others and minister to them when in fact, they themselves need ministry? They
cannot be bothered anymore. That is why the job of the pastor is to inculcate
to his congregation the mission of the church in the Great Commission (Matt 28:
19:20). When the members of a church have no conscious duty to share the Gospel
to their neighbors the congregation will soon die and close. They may as well, because
as Jesus said – they have lost their saltiness. See Lk 13:6-9.
When a congregation
sees that it is either their way or the highway, they get what the want, they get
left alone. When the congregation does not reach out to the young, they get
what they want, they become happy in themselves, happy in their ways as the Lord
takes them one by one until they close their doors since their hearts have been
closed to others. It is sad when a congregation is more attentive for people to
follow their tradition rather than serving the needs of others – serving the
Gospel and offering spiritual care. When the congregation thinks (and the
pastor allows it,) that it is not their job but the pastor’s to win souls, then
the days of that congregation are numbered, and so is the time of the pastor.
However, I
have seen when the old members of the congregation mix with young people, when
both can sing using traditional hymns and modern Christian choruses, that sight
spells health and wholeness. It does not have to be an either/or
situation but both/and. A congregation can have both the old and the new
together. I have seen this in action, and it is wonderful when the mixture can
coordinate.
If you
notice, I do not go to worship wars. I have stopped my delusion that God has anointed
me to be fides defensor. When something is an adiaphoron – it remains a matter
of indifference. The unchurch could care less if you allow communion by
intinction or give communion on a Good Friday. They are not even there yet so
such subjects are irrelevant. I found it laughable when someone wrote in an
article that she has seen young people have their mouths opened as they
listened to organ music - suggesting that the young are enamored with church organ
music. I do not see evidence of this. I can believe some handful of them are like this, but
not as a trend. I am surrounded by traditional blue stone churches, I do not
see young people lining up to enter them. I have experienced and seen
that in my street evangelism it is the young teenagers who are interested in the
tract I hand out. People even young people need a community – when their hearts
are turned towards the old because the old have welcomed and were kind to them,
they will minister in return. We reap what we sow especially when we sow kindness.
The congregation
does not have to choose either to stick with tradition or abandon it, there can
be open understanding and both the old and the new can co-exist in the church –
just like in a family. In a family uncles/aunts and nephews/nieces, grandparents/parents
and children and grandchildren can go together.
Put it this
way, everyone needs the love of Christ be they young or old. A Christian should
always be Christ to the other person. Thus that should be our disposition
towards strangers, our neighbors. Unfortunately when the congregation has its
foot at the back, as Jesus said, night time comes and no one can work and
sadly, night has come already for some congregations.
