Act 11

I know that while we pass the plates to fill our church coffers while sipping our skinny soy mocha lattes from the Holy Grounds coffee shops in our church lobbies, just across the street there’s a homeless man hoping to scrape together enough change to get a cheeseburger from the dollar menu. 

Coffee shops in churches aren't in and of themselves evil. However, I tend to think these, along with our church bookstores, t-shirts, etc. might be the very things which would bring Jesus to once again say, "You're turning my Father's house into a den of thieves!"

We have turned our temples into places of profit as those who are sometimes inside the doors of church buildings—but more often than not are outside of them—are literally starving to death.

How can they hear the Gospel over the growling of their stomachs?

And while I agree good things can happen over coffee in churches...our over-glorification of comfort and convenience for sale in our churches would result in tables being overturned by Jesus. 

A pissed-off Jesus is something I’d like to avoid.

What we have more and more are for-profit churches. The only "profit" of a church should be those whose eyes have been opened to a loving God by those who've fed them, clothed them, and loved on them SO much they're able to clearly hear the Gospel.

St. Francis of Assisi said: "Preach the Gospel at all times...if necessary, use words."

We’re using a lot more than words these days, Francis.  Our churches are branding themselves with slick logos designed to appeal to the affluent.  Marketing campaigns aren’t just for Coca-Cola any more!  And God forgive me for my solicitation of such ideas in the past. 

I know the church is a struggling small business which at best is well-intentioned but poorly managed, and at worst is a well-managed, for-profit business which seeks to expand itself, its staff, and its holdings. 

The church should not care about expanding itself to meet a budget.  Its one and only concern ought to be expanding love in this world:  love of God…and love of one another.  And one does not need a multi-million dollar facility to do this.  One only needs the perfect love of God. 

Anything else is blasphemous.