Jim Palmer is the author of three books, including Being Jesus in Nashville (2012). Recognizing the wisdom of Marshall McLuhan’s idea that the medium is the message, he recently constructed a list of ten implied messages given by the institutional church.
- Church is a place, a location, a building.
- Christianity happens in services, classes, meetings, events, and programs.
- What people need most is good information about God.
- “God’s work” needs organizational or corporate infrastructure.
- The more control the better; no telling what people will do if left to themselves.
- It’s best you let us decide how to use and distribute your money.
- Depend on us for the spiritual formation of your children; we are trained.
- The bigger the church, the better.
- People are more valuable and spiritual based on how often they are there and how much they give.
- Relationships happen in group meetings.
So What?
While any of these messages is troubling enough, put together this list correctly identifies a major obstacle that local communities of faith must overcome to be effective in communicating and carrying out mission and ministry.
- Which messages from the list above do you think are most widely held by those in your local congregation? in your community?
- How does your local congregation effectively model and communicate an alternative vision? In a sentence or two, how would you characterize this counter/healthier perspective?