Over the past few years I have had a reoccurring dream. The dream is not a bad one but at the same time it is disturbing. In my dream I am fervently preaching the Gospel to a crowd that I cannot see. I have the impending feeling that this is going to be my last time to preach on earth and I am desperate for the unseen audience to hear the message of Christ as clearly as possible. When I wake up, I am exhausted and agitated, and I do not know exactly why.
If you are wondering why I would mention my dream here, allow me to elaborate: Recently, I had a similar feeling of anxiousness and anger. The other day, I was in a Christian book store standing at the register counter when I noticed the featured book being prominently displayed. The title was Church Marketing 101: Preparing Your Church for Greater Growth by Richard L. Reising. Before I go any farther, I must say, I have not read the book and I do not wish to disparage Mr. Reising or his intentions. However, as I looked at the book sitting in its nice little stand, I became overwhelmed with anger. It was as if my Christian sensibilities had been deeply offended. I had the urge to rip the book apart and toss it in the trash!
How could the Bride of Jesus Christ be so callously handled? Has adding to the Kingdom of God been reduced to a basic (101) marketing formula? I walked away form that store feeling defeated. It was as if my Lord had been impugned and I had done nothing to correct the hurt done to His character.
Is this all the enlightened Christian community can come up with, marketing? Marketing what? Marketing who? What page of scripture tells the church that marketing is the solution to the problem of sin in the lives of individuals? When did Jesus engage in the practice and what was His formula? Have we begun to coalesce into an unrecognizable mass bent on self preservation and not the preservation of the Gospel?
Jesus must not have been as good at marketing as modern businessmen. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23); “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brother and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26-27); “So likewise, whoever does not forsake all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33). Not exactly a modern idea of marketing, and yet He was God incarnate!
What must I do? How do I react to those who wish to boil down into a formula, the intricacies of a relational God and those He wishes to join in the worship of Him? Your thoughts are welcome, your tears justified, and your prayers needed.
