Our society is becoming increasingly passive. We are more spectators than participants.
We’ve all heard the definition of football: 70,000 people desperately in need of exercise watching 22 desperately in need of rest.
This is also true in the church. Someone has stated that in the average church 20% of the members do 80% of the work. Stats can be easily made up, but I suspect that is reasonably accurate.
flickr: SLSA
Most dangerous is the passive attitude many take toward their Christian life, their relationship with Christ. Content with being “saved,” they remain passive and inactive about their Christianity.
Being a disciple of Christ is not passive, it is ACTIVE! Christ called us to be personally, actively, and continually engaged in following Him. He said if you want to be a disciple (Christ-follower) you have to take up your cross daily and follow Him. This is personal (your cross), continual (daily), and active (take up – follow) involvement in being a disciple.
Isn’t it time to leave behind this notion that we can be disciples of Christ and not participate daily in our Christian life?
Isn’t it interesting that the book of Acts mentions little about church services? It really mentions little about pastors and speaks more about the exploits of men like Paul, Silas, Stephen, Phillip and others. Wonder where we Christians ever got the idea that church was all about Sunday and not doing the stuff of the faith?
Good question. Perhaps it comes from the desire to get as much return as possible from as little investment as possible . . . a desire common in our world today.
“get as much return as possible from as little investment as possible”
.. the banner that flies over some mega-churches?
How much of this is due to to the evangelical emphasis on a “personal conversion experience” and not much on sanctification or theosis? While I of course know that there are similar occurrences in every Christian tradition, the “fire insurance” mentality seems to especially be a problem in certain evangelical circles…
I can speak only from my personal experience, but I have observed those who emphasize the conversion to the minimization of the sanctifying process. Some think they have their “ticket for the good ol’ Gospel train,” and that’s all they need.
For me, the personal nature of the conversion experience is directly linked to the personal responsibility to the daily involvement I mention in this post. Conversion is not the end of my search to know God – it is only the beginning.