In Praise of Churches

I finished Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck's new book, "Why We Love the Church," this afternoon. It's written primarily to those who are quitting church in favor of more informal meetings--gathering with a few Christian friends at Starbucks or on the Golf Course. It's a good read overall.

The authors quote J.C. Ryle on the need to take the church more seriously on page 101:

"Let me warn all careless members of churches to beware lest they trifle their souls into hell. You live on year after year as if there was no battle to be fought with sin, the world, and the devil. You pass through life a smiling, laughing, gentlemanlike or ladylike person, and behave as if there was no devil, no heaven, and no hell. Oh careless, churchman, or careless dissenter, careless Episcopalian, careless Presbyterian, careless Independent, careless Baptist, awake to see eternal realities in their true light! Awake and put on the armor of God! Awake and fight hard for life! Tremble, tremble and repent!"

Then the authors make their own point by way of follow-up:

"Church isn't boring because we're not showing enough film clips, or because we play the organ instead of the guitar. It's boring because we neuter it of its importance." (pg. 102)

In other words, the problem with church, for many people, doesn't actually reside with the church institution; rather it's a problem with their own perception of the church's value in God's plan to redeem us. If they understood its importance, nothing about it would be boring.