Thursday, May 11, 2017

Real Church Is Not About Making People Feel Good

Monroe County

"The task of religion," writes Eugene Peterson, "is not to make people feel good but to make them good." (Peterson, Run With the Horses, Kindle Location 1081)

With this one sentence the Entertainment Church becomes irrelevant. If a pastor is focused on pleasing the people and making sure people "like" the service, they may be popular, but they hinder spiritual formation.

Leadership focus is not to be on the feelings of the people. Leaders in the church are to equip the people to do the stuff of ministry.

What needs to happen, writes Peterson, is "the self must be toppled from its pedestal." (Ib.) This may not give happy feelings, but it is the beginning of making a person good. Not happy. Not sad. Good. Which means, Christlike.