What’s Wrong With This Picture?
You know those pages in children’s activity books where they have a picture, and you have to find all the things wrong in the picture (like maybe the guy has two left hands or the car is missing a wheel)? Well, I was in my hometown (a very small town in upstate New York) last week and heard a true story about something going on with the Vespers Service for the Graduation Ceremonies at the High School I graduated from. Read this story and see how many things you can find that are wrong with this picture of the American church today. (To protect the guilty, I am going to leave all names – of towns, churches, etc. out).
So there is a group of High School Seniors who are in charge of the Graduation Ceremonies. In a meeting they are told (by the Teacher who is their Sponsor) that they need to invite a Pastor to speak for the Vespers Service. They all stare blankly at each other. Not one of them attends church. No one can name a Pastor. Finally, one speaks up. The Jewish kid. He says that he went to the Episcopal church once in the neighboring town for a christening. The Pastor seemed nice. Should they invite him? The group agrees, since no one else has ever been to church or met a Pastor. They call the Pastor, invite him, he says yes.
A few days later the Pastors from the four churches in my hometown hear about this. They are upset. Why are they upset? Is it because they realize that in a room full of High School Seniors, not one of them attends any of their churches? Because they realize that they are completely ineffective evangelistically? Because they realize that they have lost an entire generation of people? No, they’re not upset about that.
So why are they upset? Is it because the Episcopal Pastor the students invited is gay? (Yup, he’s gay.) Because they are committed to biblical truth and the integrity of the Scriptures? Because they’re worried that having a gay Pastor speak for Vespers could lower the standards people hold of God’s servants? No, they’re not upset about that.
So why are they upset? It’s because the Pastor who was invited is from a different town? They feel like the High School in their town is their property, other Pastors are persona non grata. How dare the school invite a Pastor from another town?!? That’s what they’re upset about.
Unbelievable. Let’s hear it for the church in America!!
– featured on newchurches.com