Some days, church people might as well be atheists. They say they believe in God, but they live as if God does not matter much. They do not pray that often, read the Bible that much or care for hurting people if they are far enough away.
As practical atheists, they make their own plans. They ignore people they want to ignore, give up on people on whom they want to give up and spend money the way they want to spend it. Some days there is not a lot of evidence they believe in God.
Atheism is easy for them, until it isn’t. Atheism works, until they don’t get the promotion they should have gotten, six of their friends go to dinner and they are not invited or the person they love most misunderstands them. Atheism is hard for people who say things that go unheard, write things that go unread or hope for things that do not happen. Atheism is hard when they settle for a routine of work, laundry or staring at their screens.
Brett Younger
Atheism is hard when something horrible happens. Something falls apart — their job, family, life. Someone dies — their friend, parent, partner.
Atheism is hard when they think about big questions, because atheists want big answers. What is their greatest accomplishment? What is the biggest risk they have taken? What is the first line in their obituary?
They are not as impressive as they would like, so they try not to think about their ambitions, what they spend their money on, or how they worry about others’ opinions. When they look inside for meaning, there is not enough there. They find it hard not to believe in God.
“Jesus overturned the moneychangers’ tables in the temple. Churches spend too much time setting the tables back up.”
Churches act like atheists. Churches can go a long time without thinking about God. Churches think only of themselves, hold tightly to what they have and make decisions without looking to Christ’s example.
Churches are overly concerned about their bank accounts and unconcerned about poor people. Some days the church functions as though God does not exist, thinking of themselves not as God’s servants, but as shareholders in an institution. Jesus overturned the moneychangers’ tables in the temple. Churches spend too much time setting the tables back up.
Reinhard Bonnke said, “The less Holy Spirit they have, the more cake and coffee they need to keep the church going.”
If God’s presence somehow disappeared from the church, how long would it be before the church noticed? Churches understand it is simpler to choose what they want without asking what God would have them do. People go to church hoping it will make them feel better about themselves, but real worship reminds them their lives are not just about them. Churches have to decide if they are going to operate like atheists or believe in the Spirit.
Atheism is easy for churches, until it isn’t. Atheism works until people stop showing up for church because they are supposed to, decide that just because their grandparents gave 10% to the church does not mean they have to, or their kids’ soccer games get scheduled on Sunday mornings. “Come and support their institution” is not an attractive invitation to people who already are busy.
If it is not about God, churches should close up shop, but churches have the option of believing in God. They could act like God is not a theory, but an actual guiding presence. Churches could let their hearts be broken by the things that break God’s heart. Churches could let the agenda be set by the needs of the hurting, the gifts of the people and the leadership of the Spirit. Churches could stop trying to fit God into their plans and start seeing the church in God’s plans. Churches could welcome people who are not always welcomed, give away what they would rather keep and recognize that God surrounds them.
God could help churches see that life is too big for small concerns, small irritations or small hopes. The church could double down and ask God to take them beyond their practical atheism. The church might discover it is surrounded by hope, peace and joy. The church might end up believing in God.
Brett Younger serves as senior minister at Plymouth Church in Brooklyn, N.Y.