A pretty common term these days is “seeker-sensitive churches”. Anyone involved in ministry on pretty much any level is acquainted with the term. The gist is that it’s a model for doing church popularized by the mega-church Willow Creek. The basic idea is for church to be a comfortable, non-judgmental, unthreatening place for unbelievers or “seekers” to come and “feel” the love of God. The churches using this model usually have very contemporary music, extensive refreshments, elaborate church programs to keep everything eye catching, and although there’s probably a lot more to it, the most notable thing about seeker churches is the sermon. They’re almost always topical, preaching on things that matter to the average Joe who doesn’t know God. The abundance of topical sermons, however, often allow for the speaker to teach from the bible, without usually have to actually teach the bible. This is certain danger.

Many churches in America have adopted at least some aspects of seeker-sensitive model. I am almost certainly oversimplifying, but for the sake of discussion we’ll leave it there.

Here is my gripe. For starters, there is a major flaw in the title. Romans 3:11 says, “There is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God.” So what are people doing when they’re “seeking God” but “haven’t found him yet”? Well, I’m not exactly sure. I suppose they might be looking for comfort, they might be looking for satisfaction, fulfillment, escape from the conscience, purpose, the list could go on and on. But one thing is for sure, they’re not seeking God.

So if we modify the title based on the reality that there are no unbelievers on this earth seeking God, then we’d just be left with “sensitive churches” and that seems pretty reasonable, I suppose. But let’s go a little further here. I’m convinced it still doesn’t make much sense.

What is the sensitivity toward? Is it because teaching the truth as laid forth plainly in the bible would be offensive? The cross is offensive; “blessed is he who does not take offense at me” (Luke 7:23). Is it because perhaps they might feel judged by the soberness of these things? They will be judged; isn’t that among the things we’re hoping they’ll avoid? Perhaps we’re hoping that feeling comfy will make them more apt to believe in Jesus—I think that’s a pretty sad foundation for anyone to build their faith on. Sure, Jesus dined with tax collectors and prostitutes, but do we have any reason to believe that he watered down his relentlessly jolting truth for the sake of his company’s comfort? And sure, Paul was a “Jew to the Jews” and a “Greek to the Greeks” but what reason do we have to believe that in that outfit he wasn’t still pleading for them to “repent and believe the Gospel”?

Truthfully, I think it would be unwise to draw any hard lines on how church is “done”. However, I think that if we take a good hard honest look at scripture we might find that the things we’ve employed hoping to be more loving are, in fact, vastly less loving in light of what is at stake here.

Jesus, I pray that you would give you church humility. Give us grace and mercy and strength to walk out this life that you have called us to, through the Spirit that you have provided for that very purpose. Sanctify us, God, for the sake of your glory!

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