It Breaks My Little Pink Heart
November 2nd, 2010 § Leave a Comment
That’s what Bethany’s kid, Trinity used to say; “you broke my little pink heart.”
Well, you know what breaks my heart? People who don’t go to church, not because they’re not looking for Jesus, but because they can’t work up the nerve to walk through the doors more than once. Just in the last week, I’ve heard that various people here in The Dalles don’t go to church for a variety of reasons. Among them,
“They only have one service and I’m working during it.”
“They only have one service and it’s right I get off of my graveyard shift.”
“I felt pretty judged.”
“I didn’t understand what was going on.”
“No one talked to me.”
“The pastor’s ego was bigger than his wife’s hair.”
“You can’t really participate unless you’re a member.”
“I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t want me there.”
“There’s not really any young people there.”
What in the world? These are not major hurdles for churches to overcome. This is the basics, people. That anyone would be sincerely convinced that they weren’t wanted in a church is devestating. How, in this day and age, the church could even begin to think that they can afford to make ANYONE short of perhaps, a pedophile, feel unwelcome at a church is beyond me. That a church would allow itself to “age” out of existence. That a church would think that using its building for once-a-week services and a bible study here and there is a God-honoring use of resources baffles me. That a newcomer could walk into a church the size of a high school English class and NO ONE would have a conversation with him is unfathomable.
I love The Dalles, but this town scares me. I’ve yet to feel as though I’ve really found Jesus moving here. What is God doing in this city?
