Are you
ready? Have you been WAITING for this last installment?
OK I will not put it
off any longer.
The
walls were pink, and near the ceiling there was a flowery border of yellow,
maroon and baby blue. Hanging on the walls were some ornamental decorations
that looked like vines and more flowers. To complement the wall hangings were
lithograph pictures from a bygone era that invoked a feeling that grandma lived
here. Toward the front of the room were colorful banners, live flowers, and
draperies over the windows. White frilly doilies were placed under each the
flowers and the candle stands. The floors matched the walls only in a darker
shade that made it look almost luxurious.
Environment
makes a difference. How would the man who wore a hat feel in such an environment
that was described above? Is this a place where he would feel comfortable? Is
this a place where he would be willing to return? The above description is a
compilation of many churches that I have visited. Thankfully not all of the items
were in one place. In their own right are innocent and yet most do not see
their offense.
My
suggestion is not that we do away with all aesthetics, but rather that the
church take an honest look at the environment and make appropriate changes to
become friendlier to men. I would suggest that most men prefer the simple.
Color is OK, but it is best to refrain from the pastels and feminine colors as
well as that type of décor. Most men do not mind going to their grandmother’s
house, but we do not want our churches to look as such. If there are not some
changes made soon, I am afraid that church as we know it today will become extinct.
Men need to come back to church. They need to be the men that God wants them to
be.
What are
some of your ideas to get the interest of men back to the things of Christian
faith?
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Postscript
Recently
I caught a show on television regarding the best BBQ place in America. One of
the places featured was a church in Texas that weekly had a food stand that
featured BBQ. My thought was that this is the perfect way to bring men and the
church together. This is the kind of church I desire to be a part of. Where the
men are together in Christian fellowship, out in God’s wonderful country,
sitting around a fire pit, eating some wonderful BBQ and giving God the glory
he deserves. I think that is possible. Pray for the men to return to faith.
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