How do we play Church?

"Eng Ing, m disappointed with your church" This was the words of a friend when I showed her where my church is .... my church is located in the back lane shop lot, a corner lot but its right in front of a garbage area. The sight of a simple church located at the back streets of Taman Universiti was not something she expected from a church which she has heard so much of ... lead by a pastor whom she has heard so much of too .... There was no proper signage for the church .... no nice sigh board or attractive colors slapped on the walls of the building ... the sight and smell from the two huge garbage bins was the last straw I guess ....

"How old is your church? How many people in your church? If church so many years and no growth, it is not healthy ..... something is not right somewhere ..... Normally churches will do rallies, crusades ....evangelistic meetings etc ...." The comments continued to pour in like a heavy downpour of rain ...non stop...

"You guys cannot just pray and except God to do things and not do anything ...."

I have told her before and was telling her again that my church is not an activity orientated church .... we do not have activities except for church prayer meetings, every Mon, Wed and Fri nights. We have 2 services .... the first service is more for the youth ... and during the second service, the youth goes up to CG meeting style. Then there is Sunday school ... NOT some gala huge children's church. We still use the normal plastic chairs with a maroon hood that can be stacked up after use.

My poor friend was so shocked I guess at the sight of the church building .... I have told her time and again .... she will be the most outstanding dressed lady if she comes to my church ... my pastor will normally just wear her favorite polo tshirt on normal days and a blouse or the Rev. collar blouse ..... no make up ....

When I first stepped into our church -- it really reminds me of the type of church that Paul Ling's old church (before his current building) or a church that we can find in our mission trips --(remembering those in my mission trip in Ipoh during varsity days or Chamek ... after STPM). The thing that struck me was the "river of life" that was flowing in this church .. I recall telling myself that this is the place where I can find the rivers of living water flowing and I can come and drink from it ... that was like ..... 3.5years ago? They worshiped God with their Mandarin songs .... at that point ... I hardly know any song .... but I know my tears was running down my cheeks as I stood in the service -- how do you explain this .... I don't even know the meaning of the words of the song ... This my friends .... was the Holy Spirit touching me ....ministering to me. What is worship? Our hearts towards God or .....

Do they have back up singers? Do they have a band? No ... it was just the worship leader .... and someone standing beside her as back up ... though there was guitar .... drum set .... but no one was playing .... the only music was coming from a piano .... God was there .... He still came and met us in worship!

We visited a new believer last Tuesday and this is an incident he shared with us .... His friend, ex Buddhist was a new believer and was asked to share the Gospel and ask people to come to church --- those around him ... this was the friend's reaction --- "huh? Why should we ask (pull ... translate that to Mandarin -- that was the word used) people come church .... the Buddhist or Muslims never ask people go to their temples or mosque .... people just go. Is church doing this because they do not have business or scared that they do not have business?" ... we laughed ... yes ... its a joke ... but think about it -- evenpre-believers and new believers have expectations on the church ...

Expectations .... expectations ... expectations of how a church should be (the physical) how the program should be ... how the pastor and staff should dress ... how we should talk ... behave .... how we should play church ... it is interesting to note that my friend who has been a Christian past 20years, attended a few churches and now looking for church to change ... seems to know better how we should run the church (like an organization) than my pastor ... Lord have mercy .... think that we should cease to play god or help God to be god ... but to repent ... and truly seek God what and how He wants us to do .... His way .... let His kingdom come on earth ... His way ... His Kingdom .... not man's kingdom .... He is God .. we are only mere man .... give back to God His rightful seat in our lives and heart ... and He will show us how to run our lives and His church ...

We need to be mindful of expectations .... it is expectations in our relationship that normally rock the relationship .... it is expectations of ourselves ... how our life should be ... our lifestyle .. what type of job we should have ... how our children should be .... ect ... that not only wrack but steal the very love, peace and joy out of our lives .... expectations ... is another blog by itself ... perhaps some day will blog on it ....

Lord have mercy ... and help us ... to live simply but fully for Him!

I am proud that I belong to this Body of Christ .... where the River of Living waters flow ... where fresh Manna is being served ..... where my shepherd's concern is the soul of her sheep ... the growth in depth & vertical of her sheep and not just the horizontal growth .... she would rather have small number but transformed souls .... hungry for more of God rather than numbers ... her focus is the internal ....not the external.... and I echo her vision ... because I am tired of playing church with God .. and tired of living out the expectations of people .... I want to live out the expectations of my Father and my Boss .... :0 ... Amen!