In response to Starbucks recent early closing for retraining Gordon MacDonald thought about what lessons we might learn from this in church. He suggested;
"While the doors are closed, we might ask if the present way of doing church life really works. Does the generally accepted institutional system generate courage, wisdom, and solidarity in such a way that its people really do learn how to carry the servant-spirit of Jesus into schools, businesses, and neighborhoods?" (For the rest of the article check here.)
My initial reaction is that I'm not sure shutting down shop to have a time of retraining will do that much good. Isn't this really what happens on a weekly basis in many churches in North America anyway? The church gathers together with everyone knowing each other and not a stranger/visitor in sight and we continue on as if all is right with the world in God's eyes. Sometimes I wonder if people become more Christ-like in spite of the church rather than because of the church. So do we need retraining or do we need a reminder from the owner that if we aren't going to do business his way there are others who can take our place?
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3 comments:
The idea of retraining--revisting the basics that we think we've mastered--makes a lot of sense. It's a way of getting people who assume they're doing it right to think again.
Note: I got a good laugh at the start of the post. I misread it as "In response to Starbucks recent early closing for retraining Gordon MacDonald"... basically, Starbucks was going to retrain this single pastor.
Now I could use that kind of retraining! But they would have to be serving coffee so that I would stay awake.
So was the Starbucks closing just a publicity stunt? I admire the barista's honesty in saying they just had the night off. Maybe we need to be more honest with ourselves and others in the church.
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