I’ve been wrestling with some ideas about relevance and the Christian Church. The idea is that to reach more in this generation, and this time we have to make Christ relevant. We must market to the marketed, and we have to modernize (or post-modernize) our service, make it more theatrical, more interactive, more attractive. At least, this is my understanding of it.

What’s the big idea? When did Jesus ever need a billboard? When did Jesus need an auditorium with a brilliant power point presentation?

He never did, in fact, He often looked for ways to slip off into the secret and get time alone, He was constantly surrounded by the crowds. He attracted multitudes by sharing the truth, by sharing His love, by being unapologetically counter-cultural. By accepting the unacceptable, and leaving the ridicule for the religious leaders.

I think the Church, or at least many facets of the Church have become irrelevant for another reason than that which is often thought. The fact isn’t that Christ’s message is stale, that The Way, Truth and The Life doesn’t appeal to our contemporary time, but that the Church, or many church communities have put too much emphasis on the wrong things, they have become Irreverent.

Distractions have plagued the Church and taken away from Christ because He is not given the credit, or the time, or the reverence He deserves. Nor is He given the relation with His bride as He so desires. There’s big talk about relationships, and saving this post-modern world through them, but I think many have fallen short, myself included, of doing their part in building a strong and deep relationship with whom it all depends on: Christ.

It’s about time that we sacrifice ourselves for Him, forget how tired we are, or how little time we have; it’s time we come back to Christ. It’s time we resist the desires of our flesh, stop working so hard for the bread of this world for there is one in whom we will be fed and never hunger again. It’s time we beat our bodies into submission so that we can be effective tools in Jesus. We must pray more in intensity, intercede for our friends, peers, and co-workers, pray in every moment that we have breath. We need to walk with Jesus like He is always by our side: He is.

Jesus never became Irrelevant, I think the Church became Irreverent. The Church has become impotent because of misplaced priorities, and I think it will only become the effective body of Christ once it turns it’s eyes once again upon Jesus; once it returns to a simple life that is dedicated to the pursuit of “on earth as it is in heaven”: all action dedicated to His glory.

I think church communities need to develop some real Community, some real culture. A REAL culture of intimacy, where followers of Christ really connect, hold each other accountable and reach a sincere understanding of how much God desires to be in every waking moment of their lives. A community where everyone knows the everyone else; if someone new walks in to the meeting place, someone notices and sincerely invites them into fellowship (people standing at the door don’t count). If this is not possible, the church is too big.

In all practicality, a congregation bigger than 120 is a church where intimacy will become stale: It’s too stinking big. And then the church needs to DO things, like get outside the four walls that they meet within. The Body of Christ needs to actually go out and be Christ like, with no strings attached. Really impact the lives of others with out giving a sermon or passing the offering plate.

I think this is what the world is seeking, not more marketing, but authenticity that can only come through Christ and a disciplined love for Him.

Let me know what you think, I’m barely educated on such things any more and would like to hear some dialogue.