The Whirlwind of the Week

So, there are quite a few things that I have been thinking about this past week.

First of all, I went to the doctor on Friday and now I need to get an ultrasound of my liver and kidneys to determine if there is anything wrong.  I tend to think that there is something wrong physically, not something psychologically.  

I went to a baseball game last night with a large group from Providence Christian College.  It was pretty enjoyable overall and I definitely enjoyed the fireworks afterwards.  I think that one of the most fun things to do in my life is to do just that, go to a baseball game and see fireworks.  

This morning I realized one very harsh reality.  I have witnessed the dying of two churches in my life.  I cannot, however, say that the same thing happened in both churches.  Whereas my church in South Holland simply died because so many member were advanced in years with no new members coming in, my church that I attended in San Diego is dying because there is no outreach and members are simply leaving.  It makes me think about why people attend churches in the first place.  Has church given into consumerism, or have people treated churches like they are simply another store to go to?  Do we try to find the church that makes us feel the best and continue to shop around until we find that church?  Or, do we find a church based on our ethnic background?  Do we simply go to a historically Dutch church because we are Dutch?  It is really interesting as I reflect upon that.  I want to go to a church that makes me feel good, but at the same time tells me the truth.  Yes, we always want good news, but it is like those conversations you have with coworkers or underlings.  They always ask if you want the good news first or the bad news.  Well, you know what, I want the bad news first, then the good news because it will stick with me better that way.  If I know where I have been I can definitely be assured of the greatness of where I will go.  We need churches that preach the good news while also telling us the bad news.  If we ignore the bad news we will not really understand why the good news is really that good.