Another parable: a tale of two churches

“ A Tale of Two Churches”

It was the best of churches, and it was the worst of churches. Upon observing Pine Street Church and Elm Street Church, the buildings looked about the same, the communities were about the same, the budgets were about the same, and they belonged to the same denomination. There was one thing, though, that made them different. Pine Street Church had something that Elm Street didn’t have. Elm Street didn’t have it and didn’t want it. Pine Street, however, felt that they just really couldn’t function, couldn’t grow, and couldn’t be faithful or fruitful without it.

I visited Pine Street one Sunday, and noticed that they were in a big attendance drive, to be followed by an evangelistic crusade. Reverend Taylor, the pastor of Pine Street, shook my hand vigorously, and motioned for an usher to fill out a card with my address and church membership status. Then I was escorted into a Sunday School room, where everyone was reminded that we all needed to read our Bibles daily, give a tithe or offering, and study the lesson so the class could get a “hundred percent” grade. We were informed that this class was the only class that had not yet won the attendance banner, and it was getting embarrassing. We had a lesson on the faithfulness of God, and the teacher told us that since God was faithful to us, we should be faithful to the church. We were told that we must tithe in order for God to bless our finances. We were reminded of the evangelistic crusade, and of how ashamed we should be if we didn’t come back every night, and bring others with us. Before the class ended, the teacher asked for all who would come back that night to raise their hands. Since everyone else raised a hand, I raised mine, too. Some of the people in the class looked at me and smiled.

Pastor Taylor introduced the evangelist for the week, exhorting us to faithfulness, high attendance, and to give an extra-generous offering for this “greatly-used man of God”. When the evangelist stood to preach, he told us some amazing stories. We were told that hell was thousands of degrees hot. He asked us did we want to go there, and if not, did we want our family and friends to go there. He told us of a man who had put off his “decision” for one more day, and then was killed in a car wreck before he had another chance. He said that God had told him to say that the same thing might happen to any of us. At the end, we sang several verses of a song, and some people came to the front to pray. But apparently it wasn’t enough people, because Pastor Taylor then said some things that got many more people to come. He told the children that their mothers would be proud if they came forward. Then he told us that if we didn’t come to pray we obviously didn’t care if people went to hell. Finally, he said that since most of the people were now at the altar, the rest of us should feel ashamed.

Herb down at the barbershop told me that Pastor Taylor is in trouble at Pine Street because some of the people think the church isn’t growing fast enough. Herb said that this crusade was probably the pastor’s last chance to get some results before the board asks him to leave.

Finally around 12:30 the service was over, and I left Pine Street exhausted. It had been a while since I had been to church. I had forgotten what an ordeal it could be. I felt that I was a big disappointment to God, that I was not very faithful, and that He was probably quite mad at me. I did not return that night, even though I had raised my hand. I guessed that I was not very “spiritual”, because I didn’t really want to go back to Pine Street any more.

The next Sunday I visited Elm Street Church. There was really not anything special about it, except it felt happy and peaceful and free. The music was good, but no better than at Pine Street. The pastor, Reverend Miller, was friendly but relaxed. He was not the entertaining preacher that the evangelist had been. Someone asked him a question, and he actually answered, “I don’t know!” Nobody seemed to be more important than the others. There was a lot of laughter. Some of the people asked me about my job and about my family. Pastor Miller asked if the church could be of help to me in any way. A young man even told me that the church had been “honored” by my coming to Elm Street! They didn’t try to get me to do anything. Nobody implied that my love for God was equated with my involvement in the church. They were just glad to be there, and glad that I was with them for that day. I felt that I was among people who were honest and open and real. I didn’t feel guilty or ashamed or embarrassed or condemned. I knew that I would come back again to Elm Street Church.

At the beginning of this “tale of two churches”, I said that there was something that Pine Street had that Elm Street didn’t have. I said that Pine Street Church felt that they couldn’t grow or function without it, but that Elm Street Church did not want it. “It” is called “manipulation”—putting all kinds of pressure on people to get them to do what they don’t really want to do. Pine Street Church manipulated people through fear, shame, guilt, pride, competition, and even greed. Churches like Pine Street will never be satisfied and will never be happy. And they won’t let anybody else be, either. Sadly, they really seem to think that this is “serving the Lord”- that this is the Christian life.

At Elm Street Church I can find what I really need– a God who loves and accepts me purely by grace, and people who are learning to do the same. No pressure to perform, nothing to pretend, nothing to prove, nothing to force on anybody else.

I hope that at some time in your life you will encounter an Elm Street Church. If you’re looking for one, and you find yourself on Pine Street, don’t panic and run off the road. Just calmly and quickly make a U turn.