This is THE FEEL GOOD Church, isn't it? - updated

Sometimes I wonder what our church's first-time visitors must think. Especially today, when The P taught what it means to be a man.

-Arriving from the highway, the building sure looks more industrial than church-ish. There's no steeple, no cross, and no stained glass windows signifying right here is a church.
-But there's people greeting traffic on the parking lot and still others welcoming guests as they enter the auditorium. And not a single one of the 1200-or-so volunteers is dressed in a suit. But they're all smiling and seem glad to be doing what they're doing.
-Instead of a wood panelled vestibule, there's a functional atrium that looks a lot like an airport terminal.
-There's no pulpit or baptistry inside the auditorium; there's a poured concrete stage with theatrical-caliber lighting, huge video screens and outrageously BIG SPEAKERS instead.

So far, as the first-time visitor is escorted by a volunteer usher to his or her seat, maybe this still seems like the Feel Good Church after all.

-After the rock band plays (there's no choir, no choir robes) and things settle down it might be hard to tell who's the pastor, because he comes out without fanfare and he's dressed in jeans ... pretty much like everybody else.
-He doesn't have his hair in a pompadour, wear expensive jewelry or split "Jesus" into three syllables.

But then things are likely to become suddenly and distinctly uneasy.

Like today, when Perry taught men the importance of setting Christ, and not corporate executives or celebrity icons like Brad Pitt, as their role model. And things get distinctly tense when folks hear Jesus Christ presented for the first time from scripture as a powerful warrior who fights for those he loves, instead of as a wimpy, doe-eyed lamb-loving victim.

Maybe lots of men went home tonight feeling uneasy and questioning most of what they believed about themselves. Maybe there are dozens more who got angry learning that their marriage is not All ABout Me, that their lives must absolutely not revolve around work or career, that wives and family come first and it's NOT OK EVER to be on a short fuse because of work-related stress ... and solemnly promised themelves they'd never go back.

On the other hand, maybe there are several thousand wives, families and children who by tomorrow morning will have witnessed the Holy Spirit at work as a result of today's message, and seen a change in their husband, fiance, boyfriend or father signalling a reason not to give up, not to despair or file for divorce ... and will have realized first-hand that only Jesus Christ changes lives.

Maybe it's not about showing up at church expecting to feel good, after all.

Maybe it's about hearing the gospel taught from scripture, setting Christ as our standard and not accepting the selfishness of settling for anything less.

Disclaimer: I'm not on the church staff nor am I writing on anyone else's behalf. Any viewpoints, opinions or impressions presented here are entirely my own, as are any errors, ommissions or misstatements of fact.