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I intended to visit Lifetree Church this morning. The GPS unit in my rental had other ideas. It sent me about 45 minutes in another direction. On the way I passed three huge churches each of which had overflowing parking lots and cops directing traffic. All three were located adjacent to one another. All three–as I mentioned–were packed.
The three? First Presbyterian, First Methodist, First Baptist. Three in a row. All traditional. All full. What can you say except that God must be up to something.
When I realized I was too far away to make it to Lifetree, I parked (3 blocks away) and just made it in for the 11:00am worship at First Baptist. What I saw impressed me no end. People of every generation filled all the seats. Many men wore suits and many did not. The choir wore robes, and led us singing hymns all of which I recognized. The Pastor preached that Christians need to lead in truth-telling. He preached it simply and straight from the Bible. An 8-year-old boy came to Christ and I went out feeling like I’d met with God and His people.
Not a bad Sunday. Tradition is in in Roswell, Georgia. I was glad the three cops were directing traffic.
2 Comments
Lagniappe…..
I love that word. Its my favorite thing and try to use it in sentence as much as I can. Before I came to New Orleans I would have said that we spend most of our time fighting and planning crap. But now I can say that we need to not worry about lagniappe. Love God, Love People has now become annoying to me but it is true. Those Churches were full because people were connected to one another and to Christ. Yes, even at the Methodist Church. If we focus on loving God and loving people the rest is lagniappe.
Comment by Michael Hitch May 11, 2008 @ 6:55 pmThis post helps to remind me as a future church planter to not “throw the baby out with the bath water.” As a closet semi-postmodern, if that’s possible, I find myself rebelling against the “what’s always been done” motif. But Stetzer, made the comment that many post-moderns actually appreciate the old system, the vintage and classic liturgical styles of the bygone era.
This reminded me that church planting is about being relevant to the people that God has called you to. Be “all things to all people” as Paul points out to us in I Corinthians. It’s a lesson I learned about buying gifts for more girlfriend. It’s not about the gift I want to give her, but much more about me giving her the gift that she wants. It’s true that lost people need Jesus, but we have to be willing to be a “Gentile or a slave” so that in all things some might know Christ.
Comment by Rob Hare May 9, 2008 @ 1:55 am