We offer comfy perches, not comfort and peace.

Posted in , , , By Hannah 1 comments

Last year we received dozens of glossy postcards from various churches proclaiming, and well, pimping their hyped holiday programs. Among the worst offenders were the flyers that boasted "face melting lasers," ample parking and comfy seats.

Lasers? Parking? Comfortable chairs? Really, church? That's what we need to celebrate the Savior?! 

Sure, nice things are delightful, but as the church we should know that the finer things are nothing to boast about. We are told in Colossians to put this type of behavior to death. "Don't be greedy for the good things of this life, for this is idolatry" (Colossians 3:5).

The argument has been that these programs bring people into the church. Great, but getting people into a building shouldn't be the goal here, friends. If people come to your church for entertainment, parking and comfortable places for their bottoms, they are coming for the wrong reasons. That's no gospel, and it certainly isn't discipleship. Sure, it might bring lots of people in, but what the heck are we sharing with them once they get there? Light shows and plushie chairs?! Pink Floyd offers that at their concerts. Comfy perches are not crucial to celebrate the Savior. Lasers will not replace the fact that we need to be Light to the world. 

Oh Pretenders, we should not boast about all the good things we have, but rather strive to provide for the ones who have nothing. God doesn't want our programs, parking and comfort. He doesn't even want our sacrifices or offerings. He wants us to be merciful (Hosea 6:6).

Instead of investing our time and money on programs and pimping, why don't we do what we're supposed to do and take care of people? Don't waste money on entertaining the saints, church. Let's use that money to provide food and shelter to the hungry and cold. 

This holiday season let's just be considerate, or at the very least aware of what we are doing. Remember that while you sit around on comfy things watching flashing lights, there are thousands of people sleeping on streets, eating trash and literally dying from exposure. Let's help others and stop entertaining ourselves to death.


"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27).