Sacred into a Circus

When I was a child, going to the circus was one of the highlights of the year.  The circus came to our town during the month of January.  The fun filled event seemed to break up the monotony of long winters in Michigan.  We always went as a family and genuinely had a good time.  There were elephants, tigers, trapeze artists, motorcycle riders, cotton candy, souvenirs and of course clowns!  I know my parents doled out way too much money for the food, candy, coloring books and stuffed animals that reminded us of our favorite parts of the show.  I remember being mesmerized by all of the activity, anticipation and excitement. 

What is it about the circus that made such an impact? Is was fun, but at the core what I enjoyed was that it existed for the sole purpose to make me smile, and if i smiled it made more money! (Thanks Dad!)  As a Pastor of a church, it feels like sometimes what people want out of church is a Circus.  Stay with me here.  We love to be wowed, we love the show, we long for the entertainment and if the church gives us what makes us smile, then hey….were all in.  We want church to break up the monotony, just like the circus.  We look for the biggest bang for our buck, we indulge in church programs and bible studies. Make sure our  kids are entertained…and it’s all good.  We take what is intended to be communion with Almighty God and make it simply about our needs, our pleasure and making sure everything makes us smile!   

Unfortunately, this is not a new problem.  In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 we learn that the early church even struggled with making  the observance of the Lord’s supper about them.  In fact, in verse 17 Paul tells them that their meetings are doing more harm  than good!  A church meeting doing more harm than good?  When we make the church worship service about us, when we think our pleasure and our comfort is the goal we might as well get out the clown make up, call in the parade of animals and have some cotton candy!  We have turned the sacred into a CIRCUS!

Jesus Christ, the son of the living God, who bore our sin on the cross is worthy of all worship, worship that is about Him. His greatness, his love and his merciful act of forgiveness is a call for us to return to seeing the church as sacred.  May we worship    and serve and sing and pray all with him in mind.