Star Date:  March 1, 2020

Across the landscape of America, people gather in churches, going through the motions of churchdom as we’ve become accustomed to for years…decades.  More attention is given to, and more excitement is exhibited for the ‘meet and greet’ times above anything else planned for the day. 

On this day in history, a typical Sunday morning at a typical church would look something like this:

“The faithful few have ventured out earlier than most, making sure they’ve secured the better parking spaces and, making sure they have a few moments to grab coffee before getting settled into their Sunday School classrooms before our class routines begin.  It’s an older crowd, really…mostly from the Builder and Boomer generations.  A few Bridgers, but they’re only here a couple of times per month.  We are blessed to have a sparce scattering of teens seen throughout the building each week.  However, if one didn’t know better, one would think the teens were rehearsing for parts in the next upcoming zombie movie.  And what younger couples that are successfully able to get out of the house and mini-vans alive with their children, enter the building as tornados in the heart of Arkansas in the summertime. 

But they did make it.  And that’s a win.

Forty-five minutes later, the majority of our Sunday School crowd makes their way toward the sanctuary.  Most of us have to make a stop at the bathroom before we get to our pew though, because we’ve had about one cup of coffee too many. 

The younger parents have navigated back to the children’s area again to switch their children from Sunday School to either the Nursery or Children’s Church.  You can see the relief in their faces when they crash into their pews.  You’ll occasionally see a couple of moms going through a mental check list, as not to forget something for one of their children. 

When we arrive in the sanctuary, we’re excited to see so many others that have made it out to church for the morning.  Sunday mornings are about the only time we see these folks, so we do our best to say ‘hello’ because we won’t see them back till, hopefully, next Sunday…unless they have something else on their calendars.   

Those that come in for church literally outnumber the Sunday School attenders by more than 2-to-1.  We really wish they would come on in a little earlier for Sunday School, but that’s a work in progress.

I’ve got just enough time to get another cup of coffee, but there’s about 9 other people standing in line to get to the coffee pot.  We just haven’t been able to get another Mr. Coffee maker.  Deacon Bill brought that up at a business meeting a few months back, but the church voted not to spend that $20 on the extra coffee pot.  Deacon Bob was very convincing that our church would be just fine with the one we had.  That second coffee maker sure would help though. 

The singers and musicians are gathering in the front of the church, getting ready to take the stage.  This particular morning, we have Sister Suzy playing the piano as prelude music before the services begin.  Sometimes if Sister Suzy is struggling with her gout, Sister Bertha will fill in on the organ, or if all else fails, we have a CD of Brother John’s favorite Southern Gospel group that we play over the PA system.  He sure likes that group.  I think his second cousin’s great niece’s husband’s son is in that group.  He sure can sing.

Brother James, our pastor, walks up on stage and starts his welcome speech.  While he talks, our folks are taking their place on stage to sing.  Brother James likes this welcome time.  He was a big Johnny Carson fan, so he likes to pretend he’s Johnny with his weekly monologue.  He tries hard.  I’ve almost got his speech memorized.  My wife giggles and gets on to me when I rehearse it in the car as we go back home each Sunday after church.  After I practice it a few more times, I’m going to ask him if I can do it one Sunday when he goes on vacation.  I’m actually pretty good at it.      

Bullet point by bullet point, we check off each item listed on our printed bulletins.   I sure wish that Melba, our church secretary, would use spell check on her computer though before she prints our bulletins.   Last week we all got a big kick out of one of her announcements on the back of the bulletin.  It read, “Potluck next Sunday night at 5:00pm – prayer and medication to follow.”  She’s such a sweet lady. 

Our church really enjoys our bulletins.  I’ve been taught that one of the greatest sins of the church is when one of the bulleted items is done out-of-order or Heaven forbid, is completely skipped over.  But here at our church, we don’t have to worry about that.  Brother Eugene is always meticulously monitoring the bulletin to make sure everything goes according to the order of service.  And if something just happens to be altered, he has not ever failed to let us know what mistakes we made.  And Brother James is good to make those corrections too, right there in the middle of the service.  Can’t get out of order, no sir!” 

While scenes such as this played out all across our country, and as sweet and innocent as this seems, the fact remains that we as Christians have been spiritually lulled to sleep by an enemy working overtime to keep us off track, unfocused and out of touch with Jesus by convincing us that spiritual routines are just as good as commitments, Jesus Christ is a really nice guy, and that church attendance is nothing more than just another good option on a buffet of things to choose from on a Sunday. 

Pastors, by and large, have fallen into this trance-like state as well.  Pastors have become satisfied, comfortable, and incoherent of the real needs of their communities.  And Sunday messages have become nothing more than regurgitated monologues from more famous media preachers only with a different delivery method.  Sadly, we’ve transitioned in our minds that these conditions are acceptable…and expected.  

The church, is in a mess.

Were there exceptions, absolutely.  More than most would have thought.  And in the unlikeliest of places too.  It was those exceptions…they were the ones prepared for what was coming.  And they have also become unsung, nameless heroes in the faith for their tireless devotion and their rebellious sense of urgency for failing to compromise the spreading of the Gospel in our new-found, pandemic world. 

Change, was upon us…

…to be continued.

Click HERE for Part #2