Another thing the Opryland is known for is its lush indoor gardens. The interior of the resort is full of tropical plants and rushing waters. Inside this tropical paradise, it’s always sunny with a high of 75º and about 80% humidity. All the time. It’s crazy. You begin to forget after a time that you’re even inside. It feels like you’re wandering through a tropical forest that just so happens to have paved walkways, giant Christmas trees, and $20+ buffets. They’ve created an entirely artificial environment. When you step outside the doors of the Opryland, you realize that you’ve been missing reality. Reality is that it’s 20º, cloudy, and buffets are just $5.99 across the street.

The sad reality is that many churches have created the same artificial environment. I read an article earlier today from Time Magazine about the segregation of the American church. They cite a survey which revealed that just 8% of American churches have a significant racial mix. If I based my view of American society solely on your church, would I know there were such people as African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Latin-Americans and even Native Americans; or would I think that we were a nation that was solely Caucasian? Would I know that sometimes people struggle in life, or would I think that everyone here has a perfect life? Would I know that you care about people, or would I think that Americans are cold and heartless? Would I think that America loves every era of its worship music or would I think that all of our songs were either written 150 years ago or 15 days ago? Would I see the diverse heart and soul of Jesus Christ reflected in your church or would I think that people had forgotten who He was and what He had done?

Reflect on your church. What artificial environments have you created? What falsehoods do you need to break down? What doors do you need to let a blast of cold air through? How are you going to break through the glass ceiling that supports the artificial environment? How does God want you to break through?

I don’t know about the world at large, but here in America, we seem to have a tendency to ignore the LISPs. (That’s Little Insignificant Simple Problem.) We don’t like tackling the insignificant problems. We’ve got more pressing issues that must be taken care of. Those little issues will just have to wait. The problem is that LISPs don’t stay that way very long. They turn into BHAPs.

They remind me a bit of the ever-growing Fib from the VeggieTales episode “Larry-Boy and the Fib from Outer Space.” They start out small, but before we know it, they’re monstrosities that will take many times more work to overcome. We see this with the big healthcare debate here in the US of A today. 50 years ago, healthcare was a LISP. It was a problem that could have been foreseen and treated many years ago. But we had more pressing things to do, so healthcare became a BHAP. Now it’s a huge, massive problem that we don’t even know how to begin to handle.

The church tends to do this as well. We ignore what seem to be the LISPs. The “little” things like maybe the church is becoming hypocritical. Maybe these corrupt televangelists will just go away. Slavery and poverty aren’t any big deal. But those were just LISPs. No big deal. They’ll work themselves out.

Here we are many years later, and guess what’s happened with many of those. We’ve got BHAPs on our hands. They’re pushing the unChristian populous out of the church they’ve gotten so big.

Sometimes this even occurs on a smaller scale within a local church. Staff refuse to tackle an issue, whether it be personality conflicts, policy issues, or what have you, because it’s just a LISP. Imagine their surprise when 5 years later the now BHAP comes back to haunt them.

Don’t let your problems become BHAPs. Stop them early. Find a solution while it’s easy. Save future you some time.

One of the verses I learned nearly every year in my AWANA book was Hebrews 10:25, which reads:

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (KJV)

Now naturally, I took the verse at face value as it was explained to me. It meant we needed to come to church. That’s it. No more, no less. Hebrews 10:25 meant “come to church.”

Over the last few months, I really began to reevaluate what this verse meant. It seemed like it had to hold some truth other than just “come to church.” That’s when I read the verse in its context for the very first time. Hebrews 10:23-25 say:

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ²⁴And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (ESV)

Do you see the difference? The command isn’t just to come to church. It’s to come and stir one another to good works. The church is not a spiritual gas station where the pastor sticks the nozzle down our throats to give us fuel for another week. It’s a community.

That’s what the writer of Hebrews was trying to convey. He wasn’t trying to condemn someone because they didn’t go to church while they were on vacation. He was admonishing us to come together not just for us, but for the community of believers. Some may think that listening to a sermon tape, watching a church service on TV, or listening to their worship playlist on their iPod is an acceptable substitute for coming to church. I say that’s ridonkulous. It’s like trying to substitute ice cream for veggies and fruit in your diet. It’s OK, and it will keep you alive, but it’s not what’s best for you. The community that we experience in coming to church is irreplaceable.

Another realization that I’ve had is that just because we’re sitting in the church building for a service doesn’t mean we’ve not forsaken the assembly. There are lots of people sitting in chairs every Sunday that have forsaken the assembly. They’ve forgotten community. I’ve realized this in attending chapel at Indiana Wesleyan. Going to chapel and listening to the sermon is great. It’s great sitting next to other believers and doing it. But it somehow seems empty unless I’m experiencing it with my friends and able to share my emotion and the message the Spirit is giving to me with them. I’m at a “church service”, yes. But I’m not in community. I’m not stirring them to love and good works. What say you?

P.S. I love AWANA. My misunderstanding of the verse isn’t their fault. Just wanted to clarify.

You’ve seen them: the dads with their arms crossed, the teenage guy with a girl to text, the grumpy old man.  All standing there during worship time at church doing nothing or even worse, distracting someone else.  They apparently have something better to think about or do than worship.  They’re “too cool” to do that.  The question I must present is, “Why?”

I kind of understand it.  We, as guys, don’t want people seeing us being “emotional”.  We think people might think we’re strange if we stand there with our eyes closed and hands raised up.  I get it.  But it’s not right.  God doesn’t hate emotion.  Jesus got angry–heck, He went on a wild rampage through a church building.  David, a guy known for being “after God’s own heart” and ruddy (that’s Bible-ese for “hot”), danced half-naked through the streets of his city because the presence of the Lord had returned.  If that isn’t emotion, I don’t know what is.

Look at the message of the cross.  The creator of the universe became a human.  He lived with us, in our fallen world, for 33 years.  He was falsely accused and brutally murdered.  But then the amazing thing happened.  He came back.  Not for Him, but for us.  We were sinners, and in His spectacular goodness He chose to give us a pathway out.  Then it’s up to us to accept it.  The crazy thing is that a lot of the guys that stand around and don’t take part in worship are the same guys that are really great at talking about a great Christian life.  I’ve even seen pastors do this.

Christ has done an amazing thing for us.  How can we keep from shouting, singing, and praising His name for what He’s done?  His love is beyond crazy- it’s extravagant.  Over-the-top. How can we just disregard that because “it’s not cool” or “I can’t sing”?  I don’t think you can.  I don’t think you should.  Guys, come on now.  Be willing to admit that God is the coolest thing imaginable- and anything that brings glory to Him is cool simply by association.  Worship your heart out this weekend.  Let it all go.  Bring Him glory.  Let me know what you think in the comments.