BORED AT CHURCH? THINKING OF CHANGING?

Mr. Bean 

I will dish out two credits as I start. One goes to Micah Lang who wrote the article ‘When Good Pastors Preach Boring Sermons,’ that I reference today from the Relevant magazine and the second kudo goes to Drew Unruh, an entrepreneurial nephew who asked me what my thoughts were on the article.

The content struck a chord with me because I have found myself doing the very thing for which I want to indict others.
You may find this to be an odd confession because I was a lead pastor for 34 years and a church denominational president for six. I endured people who enjoyed dissecting church and programs and pastors. I have been retired for five years now and during that time I have had opportunity to step back and objectively examine church. That can be sometimes beneficial unless its sole outcome is a discontented grumble. A candid look around me reveals a wave, almost a movement of Millenials, thirty and forty somethings and older dudes like me who are making themselves disenchanted while thinking that it is church, worship style and preachers who are disappointing them.

Lang’s subject was focused solely upon preachers and our attitudes to their messages, so here are thoughts that he suggested might help us to gain a right perspective, and which I am convinced are even more comprehensive change makers.

1. Does your pastor preach the gospel?
2. The majority of pastors have not been equipped to carry on extensive or eloquent ministries.
3. A mature believer will be easily edified.
4. Engage with the preaching.
5. Give your pastor feedback.
6. Get involved.

Personal Summation: If the pastor preaches the gospel, then we have reason to rejoice, regardless of whether it is delivered with eloquence or illustrative precision. We must spend less time critiquing and more time exulting. Only a few pastors are such gifted communicators that they predictably impress every time, so we must cut some slack for all others if they fulfill most requirements as faithful pastors. If we are developing as spiritual people, then we enthusiastically feed on biblical truth however thin the trickle, and we become intentional about learning at sermon time rather than being uninvolved spectators. It can be informative and inspiring to our pastor to hear our honest questions as well as our sincere appreciation. While it is easy to complain when we ourselves are uninvolved in church, it is healthier for both church and ourselves to invest ourselves in some meaningful service.