What I mean by using the term “Irrelevant.”
Why Church Buildings Are Irrelevant
Our buildings don't serve Jesus but insidiously serve the idolatry of our doctrinal systems, our sacred cows, and our cities feel that. It doesn't assist in solving their problems; it protects us and makes us feel good. They are asking us to solve different problems, and we are busy telling them that we know what problems they need to have solved, and they need to come and submit, sit, listen and obey. Except, that's not what happened. Many just quietly slipped out the back door, and decided to come less, give less, volunteer less, and invest less. Jesus knew people needed to connect to the Source of Life and realize God as the Father. While the religious elite was lifting their temple and their system, Jesus was lifting his Father and the faces of those who had been told they could not have an audience with Him.
We are in a similar situation now. Many cities see our buildings as a net negative in our cities. They see a lack of tax revenue. Many see few churches caring for the needs of the city. Our Cities hardly know a church leader or a Jesus follower who is trying to link arms with them to help alleviate their pain.
And worse, sitting in a building listening to pastors speak so often is mistaken by insiders as emotional and spiritual maturity, as if knowledge is the goal of following Jesus. Neither is true, but our buildings are designed for that paradigm. Becoming a fully integrated human whose life is saturated by the Gospel is the point; weekly or bi-weekly events are not. Rituals and practices are only as helpful as the outcomes they produce. And a building, when designed accordingly, can be beneficial to helping us facilitate that transformation.
Our Cities hardly know a church leader or a Jesus follower who is trying to link arms with them to help alleviate their pain