Taxies And Churches
One day I saw Two taxicabs the "Independent Cab Co." is painted on the red and white cab, and "United Independent Taxi Co." is painted on the green and white one. I wonder: how does a "united" independent company differ from a truly independent company? Is there any easy way for the casual observer to tell the difference? Is one approach inherently better? Does one result in cleaner taxis, lower fares, more courteous drivers, or less hair-raising rides through heavy traffic? Is the name really important?
What about our church: does the average non-Christian care what our church is named? Does the average Christian care? I do know that many of our visitors ask, "What kind of a church is a 'Christian church'''? I happen to like the name Lindsay Christian Church." It tells where we are located, but more important, it tells where our allegiance is: in Christ! But I still wonder if visitors are more interested in our name or in whether we faithfully fulfill the function of the church. From the way the question is phrased, I'll guess it is the latter.
When it comes to taxis, I think I'm probably a lot like many people are about churches. I hardly ever use a taxi, but when I need one, I want one that doesn't make me sorry that I didn't try to get along without it. I might be tempted to use a taxi more often, but my few experiences in them have not been particularly pleasant. The driver's disregard for traffic laws and the laws of physics have sometimes left me fearing for my safety. The cars have often been dirty, the drivers sometimes unkempt, uncouth, ignorant of the area, and unable to read a road map!
I hope our visitors never have similar reactions to our church. I like to think that they see a "vehicle" that is clean and attractive, and that they are greeted and led in worship by joyful people who insult neither their sensibilities nor their intelligence. I hope they can sense that we know where we are going, and that we regularly consult our "road map" to help us get there.
Many people treat the church as if it were a taxi, there for those rare occasions when you can't get along without it: weddings, funerals, or deep personal crises that you can't handle by yourself For whatever reason they come, let's hope they find in us a church that lives up to its name-Christian. They may not care at that particular moment why we settled on our name, but if they find in us a winsome group of caring Christians, they'll know they've come to the right place.
Dr. Paul H. Leavens - Minister
Christian Church in Lindsay