Wednesday, May 26, 2004

Theater settings discourage close relationships

By JOHN HATCHER
Pastor

This week let me challenge you to consider seriously whether your church is more about a theatre or more about relationships. I am continuing a series on misplaced models we have chosen for the church. The first model was a police department; the second was a Political Action Committee. This week it’s theatre.

My outline comes from a very good book, The 1 Thing, by Thom and Joani Schultz, published by Group this year. I am sure it’s available at a nearby Christian bookstore.

The goal of a theatre is to fill the seats in the house. When a play doesn’t bring in a large box office, it’s cancelled, regardless how good it is. If a particular theatre has outstanding receipts, it may seek out how to introduce additional seating. The more people seated, the better life is for theatre. I mean, who wants to play to a half-empty (or half-full) house?

Other components of theatre are a stage, lighting, and sound. Although the people in the seats are very important, when the curtain is pulled back it’s all about the performers who are fully miked and lighted. The people in the audience are to stay seated and keep quiet until it’s their time to cry, laugh, and applaud.

I see one such theatrical production coming from a Texas church. The actor, also known as the preacher, whips the audience up to an expected applause every three or four minutes. In theatre, you see, everyone knows his part. The actor instills and the people sit still until it’s their time to act by laughing, crying, or applauding.

The main difference between theatre churches and real theatre is when they take the offering. In real theatre they take the offering before you take your seat. In theatre church, they take the offering after the first act or, in some churches, after the entire performance. Then, you pay based on how you think the show has gone.

The big element missing from theatre churches is relationship. You never get to know the guy or gal on stage, regardless of how much you may adore him or her. You never get to meet the writer of the play or even the producer. As I experienced Broadway theatre three years ago, the only relationship possible was with the usher and even he didn’t seem to care about getting to know me or that I was from the deep South.

A lot of churches are just like that. You never get to know anyone, especially the main actor, a la pastor. In some churches, it’s a sin just to touch the pastor. After all, you just may violate his anointing.

Folks, get a grip. Have a life. For Jesus, it was all about relationships. It was about touching and being touched. Jesus commanded his big shot disciples to stop stopping the children from coming to him. Jesus felt the slightest touch and responded to it by healing a precious woman who had been bleeding for years.

Jesus, in fact, principally came to cement the relationship between the all time producer/writer of the script called Life and us.

I fear, as well as do a lot of people, that millions of people are getting the idea that a successful church is one and the same as successful theatre: good show on stage and a huge audience. And the show has to get better every week or month to keep the folks coming back or they will go hunting for a better show — or should I say a better worship service.

Really great church or theatre is one that offers multiple show times: 9 a.m., 10 a.m., and 11 a.m. As soon as one worship show is over, get the crowd out so the next crowd can come in. There’s no time to linger and talk, much less pray over a personal matter with the pastor. He’s got another show in just a few minutes.

So, think about your church. What is it? Is it a theatre where you just sit or is it a fellowship where you can build life-long and life-satisfying relationships?

Is it a place where you can learn about an eternal and supernatural relationship which will serve you in the good times as well as the bad times?

I fear, folks, that all the TV models are that of a theatre. Is that what you really want? A good show each Sunday?

After all, there’s no business like show business.

John Hatcher is pastor of Outreach International Center, 1091 South Jeff Davis Drive, Fayetteville, Georgia 30215. 770-719-0303