Man Church

USA TODAY ran an article about men attending church that featured the church I attend in Grapevine, Texas called 121 Community Church. Click on the picture to review the article, I think you will find it illuminating.

This is our pastor, Ross Sawyers, delivering his message at a Sunday service. He is a pretty cool guy and is very serious about the Lord. He even has a budding Facebook ministry. Look him up and ask to be his friend. I think you would enjoy knowing him.

I thought it was a great article that showed our church is addressing the issue of men's attendance at church, but the underlying message is disturbing: men need to be enticed to do so. Why is that? Clearly we are called to corporate worship; you see it in passages like Acts 2:42-47 and Hebrews 10:24-25, calling us to worship together. Why is it we are not rushing to church to praise and worship our Savior, but must be lured in? Wed seem to rush everywhere else in our lives, why not to church? We are called to love Christ first and foremost, but many are acting as if they love Him least and last.

I love going to my church, I look forward to it every week, even when the Dallas Cowboys are playing (But that could be due to the fact that I am a native New Yorker – Let's Go Mets). Before this article, I had not really thought about my church being guy friendly, I guess I have been blessed with the gift of obliviousness. I am glad I attend a church that I feel comfortable in, but the church is not the building, it is the body of Christ drawn together by Him in corporate prayer and worship. I would pray that I would not feel less comfortable if the décor was less masculine in tone. I pray we are not being that shallow about the unimportant things. But sadly, we are imperfect beings, marred by our own sin. So we do what it takes to reach each other and to reach ourselves.

Men, be the hunters instead of the hunted. Be the leaders we are called to be in the body of Christ. I know we are all sheep, but I do not want to hear a lot of no bleating, please. Be a man and do it, but be quiet, strong and quiet, about it. No whining about the building or the music. Go to love on God, go to love on family and friends. Go to love on others. And go to be loved on.

You do not want to be the type of fish that is only attracted by some shiny lure; you should be jumping into this particular boat of your own volition. You should be in church because you want to be there. If you do not, you should be asking yourself why. Some day He will.