Everyone loves Saltine crackers. They go well with so many things… a square of cheddar cheese, a bowl of chicken noodle soup, crumbled up in a bowl of chili, with flat ginger ale when you have the stomach flu. They are useful, ubiquitous and versatile. They usually come with the right amount of salt sprinkled on them to give them flavor.
A number of months ago a Christian young person I know, who is heavily involved in church and very committed to his faith made this statement. “I am tired of unsalted crackers”. How ironic. We are the “salt of the earth” the gospels tell us. “If the salt loses it’s flavor how can it be salted?”
My fear is that many of our churches have become the unsalted crackers of our modern age. Many Fundamental churches are awash in this condition. It is not because of a certain music style, a teaching style or a series of personal preferences. It is the fact that church has become a system, a thing to do.
I would have to admit I feel the same way as the above-mentioned young person. I am very frustrated with the system as it is.
Sermons tend to be very verbose and too long. They leave me with no practical use or memorable principle. Worship is trite and routine. There is no vibrant worship of any style. Music is invariably dull. Service is for the highly esteemed individuals that the staff chooses to represent them on stage, in front of a children’s class or teaching the youth. People are groomed for their ministry “jobs”.
There is emphasis on appearance. Hair short on men, long on women. Dress up for church because that is giving your best to God. The leadership is always very grave, dressed up and very decorous.
This leaves young people and adults alike looking for flavor, grasping for authenticity. I believe the commercialism of the seeker churches, the doldrums of fundamental churches and the general church system at large has pushed many to chase the emergent church. A style which I believe is good at heart but not in practice. The reason being that they are grasping at authenticity with such vigor that they tend, for the most part to ignore basic doctrines.
Is the answer good fundamental churches? Is it the emergent churches? Or seeker mega churches? No! Am I against the church? Absolutely not! The local church is the answer. The reason I am publishing this blog is in defense of the local church.
There has been people in every age who have stood up and made a change. In my small way I am attempting to do the same. I am not saying that a new movement has to be started. That may be the case in the future but I am saying the local church is the key because the local church is made up of individual believers who can stand up and demand salted crackers. Those of us who are passionate about being fed from God’s Word and worshiping God with song, with service not system. We must be willing to demand a change.
We need to stand up and demand a change from our leaders… we want authenticity and we want it now!
