You gotta have faith

A few weeks ago we went to the movie Philomena after church at the Lennox theater near OSU campus and were surprised to find the parking lot full at 11 a.m. There were 3 services there of the Rock City Church. There was an article about the lead pastor in the December issue of the magazine 614, the cover story of which was "You gotta have faith." http://614columbus.com/article/you-gotta-have-faith-chad-fisher-6056/

For 40 years (as long as I've been paying attention) I've heard pastors and church members say their church isn't about "religion," but about "a relationship." They sort of campaign (subtly) against organized religion. But without that in their background, going back the church fathers, the reformation, the great awakening, etc., they wouldn't be around to preach the gospel. And if they are successful in their mission, eventually they too are "religious."

I think these informal, non-religious, non-churches are a form of church renewal, and apparently necessary since Christians have been doing it for over 2000 years. However, Christians who say they don't like liturgy or hymns or structure apparently haven't paid attention to their own services, which when I attend, I always see or hear a pattern, form, and style that is comfortable and meaningful for that group. Maybe they don't say, "In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit," and make the sign of the cross, but they do say, "Lord, we just come before you today, . . ." or "Can I get an Amen here?" Maybe they don't have robes or stained glass windows or an organ, but they have 24 Peaveys hanging from the ceiling, loud guitars and special lighting to create a mood and emotion.