why are we going to church?

I am struck by something a teacher of mine said today in class. This man has been a lead pastor for many years (actually in Bakersfield for a while), working closely with compassion connect, and goes to Africa every summer to teach at ICM Seminary in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

He made a comment today about the nature of a healthy church, which leaves me thinking that many churches, especially those that are renowned, are not healthy. He made the statement that a healthy church is one that when a leaders moves with the Holy Spirit, i.e. moves to a different ministry, leaves town, etc.., that the church is on board and commissions him in the Lord's calling and continues to thrive because they have bought into the vision and mission of the call of the Lord and for his kingdom.

I found this interesting considering the fascination that we have in America for celebrity pastors and peoples' infatuation for the "hip" place to attend church. I can think of many places that are known because of their pastor, and the reason people attend and go to church on Sunday mornings and claim this church as their own is because of the ego that is involved in saying "I go to the same church as so-and-so..." I wonder about the healthiness of these places.

If the pastor was to leave, what is keeping the majority of these people from leaving that church? Not Much.

I am seeing that this boils down to pride on the human level. To be able to say that I go to "such-and-such" a church with "this" pastor, gives a faulty sense of self-worth to the party involved. I am afraid of this, this consumerist approach to how people choose the church they attend, and why they attend a certain place to begin with. Where is the sensing of the Spirit in all of this? Acts 13:4 shows that Paul and Barnabas were sent by the Holy Spirit, and the church they left in Jerusalem did not miss a beat without them. Even though the best leaders were sent away because of the call of the Lord, the church still thrived.

Our culture provokes mankind to go where they will be noticed. To "drop a name" that will give them meaning and significance in a conversation or in their community of living. Are we living out the mission of God in our place of worship, or are we simply attending because of a person, object, culture, etc...that makes us feel good about ourselves?

I find it compelling to be a leader whose ministry can thrive when they are not there. This involves a whole other topic of conversation, but people should be empowered to lead, and to own the ministry for themselves. This way, not one man is leaned on more than any other. Not one person is recognized more than another. Are leaders dominating the scene, or are we enabling people to be the church, to own the gospel, and to share God with the way they live their lives.

I don't know if this is all clear yet, but an interesting discussion to say the least. Sometimes I easily get mad at the people for just going to church because of the pastor or other human driven project or program, but I wonder what we could do different so that this does not happen, and the people that are within a church are there because of the prodding of the Holy Spirit and the will of God to advance His kingdom...