Church Is Not A Spectator Sport

In my youth, I had a friend who once declared to me that “Sex is not a spectator sport!”.  I’m pretty sure he felt, as a young man, that he was making a very profound and insightful comment to me at the time, no matter how carnally minded he happened to be.  And in a way, it was a profound statement.  It actually is a statement that applies similarly to the Church, in that “Church is not a spectator sport”, or should I say “Church is not supposed to be a spectator sport!”.  However, for the vast majority of Christian congregations, “Church is primarily a spectator sport” and you, the attendee, are expected to sit quietly in your seat or pew and only make utterances upon command or by invitation from the master of ceremonies up front.  Did you ever attend a church membership class or discipleship class where they talked about ecclesiology (how to do church)? Probably not. Does the Bible talk about this subject? Definitely yes, through the biblical patterns described in the book of Acts and also in bits and pieces throughout Paul’s epistles (letters) to the churches.  Conducting interactive, participatory church meetings – primarily in homes – was the standard practice for the New Testament church.  No other format is better at allowing believers to utilize the gifts God has bestowed upon them or enabling them to “bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ” [Galatians 6:2]. There are many articles on our site that expound greatly on this subject.  They are found in our About Church section. — RM Kane

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