Fluff, Pomp, Circumstance and Amusement Parks!
It is complete, with pool tables, Computer Games, Large Screen TV's, Wii games and XBoxes. Then there is a "Snack Bar" full of sugar loaded candy, sodas, etc for your children's enjoyment! To top it all off, this Place is called "Kid's Planet".
I am wondering though. Would you be surprised when I told you that this place, with all of the thrills is actually A CHURCH? All the things I described to you, is at a local church and all of these things I described above is in their CHILDREN'S CHURCH!
We go to a different church, but my cousin, who is living with us, is of a different denomination. We thought someone would take her, but they didn't respond until later, so my hubby decided that we would go with her (to make her feel more comfortable). I had heard from a friend that the "sermons were not deep" so I didn't expect much, but OH MY.
You know there are times in your life when you encounter High Pressure Sales people in retail markets and they won't TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER?? Well we encountered it this week, at a CHURCH! The story begins!
When we entered the church, we had unknowingly entered the children's department. All we wanted was directions to where the sanctuary is.. One lady began to tell us where it was and I turned around. A worker in this "Kid's Planet" had "sank her teeth" into our youngest boys, and wasn't letting go.....but I will get to that in a minute.
This was NOT our church. We had NO intentions of it EVER being our church. Not only that, our children worship with US in the sanctuary. That is the way it is. So this woman, gave the boys "VIP" passes. I told her NO (in a nice tone) and told her we just wanted to know where the sanctuary is. Her response is Oh really we just would really want the kids to come (and she asks MY BOYS permission!). I stress to her AGAIN that the boys (one of them was only within the K-6th guidelines). So she begins to tell them all the things they have, and she asks to "give them a gift for being a first time visitor". I said "Fine". So she was gone a LONG time, for a "gift." What had happened, was this woman had taken them on a TOUR of all of the Fluff, Pomp, Circumstance and Amusement Park stuff HOPING that our boys would beg to go. Well, they were NOT impressed (more like SHOCKED!) So the woman FINALLY brings them back, and to which she tells them "now that YOU have seen the things, don't you want to come". I said "Ma'am I said NO!" We just want to go to church! (my blood pressure was HIGH and I was SO mad!) She said "You must be mistaken!" By then I told my husband and family to let's go that we would find it ourselves. This woman quite frankly would NOT TAKE NO for answer! I was not only put off by her, but her attitude that she could "ask me enough and wear me down enough until we "surrendered" our children to them.
Then we get to the sanctuary. Complete with a "cafe" with frappachino, large cinnamon rolls, snacks, food, lights, camera ACTION! It was VERY distracting! Obviously, we walked into what people have deemed today as "seeker friendly".
The thing that struck me, is my cousin is the SAME DENOMINATION as this church. SHE was offended, distracted and disturbed! THAT says something to me.
First of all, would Jesus even enter into some of our churches now a days or even WANT to? What would be his reaction? We envision a scene similar to Jesus' reaction to the Temple and the exchange between the money changers. As I prayerfully consider if the Lord is leading us to respond further, I am thinking a copy of a letter, plus a cd of the Centrality of the Home and the book Family Driven Faith (both from Voddie Baucham, Jr.) might be in the works to go to the head pastor of that church!
