Club or Church?

Club or Church?

“So which club are you part of?” asked my camera repairman a number of years ago. The question came out of nowhere and I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. I was part of an amateur radio club at the time but he certainly wasn’t interested in that. Oh no he said….I mean church, you might call them churches but I call them clubs! The question hit me broadside, Is that what we are?

I love to hike, bike, canoe, do photography, build stuff, travel, even business groups; all these things are the kinds of things which give birth to clubs, friendship circles of common interest. I’ve tried to participate in a couple of clubs but it never worked out very well, primarily because activities needed to take place on weekends and I needed to be in church. For me Clubs and Church were in constant conflict, as a result I could not participate in Clubs.

Clubs were fun. I enjoyed hanging out with peers, doing fun stuff which was exciting, a chance to improve skills in a particular area which were respected by my peers and I felt respect and affirmation being part of these groups. Along with the fun and social connection there was a cost. There was a high degree of loyalty to the club, people counted on you. Dues need to be paid and responsibilities are handed out and each person needs to deliver. But in exchange you felt this fraternal bond which everyone strives for in life.

So I wonder, do I attend a club on Sunday mornings? One day I took photographs for a Catholic woman. I knew she lived in one town but she told me she played the organ in a town 12 miles away. How could this be? I asked, knowing it was the churches teaching that everyone must attend the parish where they live. Oh, I got permission from the priest she said, they needed help over there, that’s why I’m there.

Two bishops from a prosperous denomination were talking in my camera room the other day about Church growth movements. The discussion included the opening and closing of churches as routine as though they were McDonald franchises. Then a book was mentioned where the author who must be a successful church planter claimed that if Jesus himself would open a church down the street from him, his church would out perform Jesus’ church in attendance by a long shot.

I thought of my little country church. We come from so many different places in our life's journey. Many of us feel very vulnerable in life's stuggle. Is this what Jesus had in mind when he described his banquet as the poor, the blind, the crippled, the lame. Our pastor proclaims our church is not a needy church, indeed it overflows with life giving love. I was brought to this church as a baby, these are my people. This is God’s church I serve. It certainly is not a club.