“So [Jesus] made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area.”
How strange is the story of Jesus driving money changers out of the temple? How backwards does it seem for a religious leader to be kicking people out of church? How long would a minister today last in a church where his or her primary goal is to drive people out of the church building?
Almost daily, someone in our congregation asks me, “I wish we could get more people into the church.” And almost daily, I share their sentiment. But lately I’ve been wondering what it would look like if we thought in the opposite way. I wonder what it would look like if we spent all our time trying to figure out how to get more people “out of the church.”
What if we drove people out of the temple, out of the building in which we spend all our time as a “sanctuary” from the problems in our community? What if we wished for an empty building, because everyone has gone out to serve? What if we once again looked upon the world as our parish?
What if we are the money changers, and the whip is ready to crack on our back?
How strange is the story of Jesus driving money changers out of the temple? How backwards does it seem for a religious leader to be kicking people out of church? How long would a minister today last in a church where his or her primary goal is to drive people out of the church building?
Almost daily, someone in our congregation asks me, “I wish we could get more people into the church.” And almost daily, I share their sentiment. But lately I’ve been wondering what it would look like if we thought in the opposite way. I wonder what it would look like if we spent all our time trying to figure out how to get more people “out of the church.”
What if we drove people out of the temple, out of the building in which we spend all our time as a “sanctuary” from the problems in our community? What if we wished for an empty building, because everyone has gone out to serve? What if we once again looked upon the world as our parish?
What if we are the money changers, and the whip is ready to crack on our back?
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