Recently, when an online magazine sent me an article on “5 signs you’re part of an unhealthy church,” I opened it eagerly. This subject is dear to my heart.
I am passionate about strong, healthy churches.
The writer’s five signs were good, as far as they went. No argument. I did not leave a comment one way or the other in response.
What I felt, however, is that my experience seems to be of another nature from the writer’s.
First, from that article here are “5 signs you are part of an unhealthy church”–
1) Leadership has no clear vision.
2) Leadership can never be challenged.
3) You are comfortable but never challenged.
4) Members are content with being pew warmers.
5) Outreach is never planned or preached.
All of these are true. But there is so much more.
Here, then, is my version of “10 signs (evidences, indications) that the church to which you belong is unhealthy”–
1. Prayer, if offered at all, is a formality, an afterthought, a burden.
While spending a long weekend at a pastors/wives retreat in Italy, I was struck by something. By the time I rose to speak, the service–by then a half-hour long–had experienced at least five prayers. The worship leader had followed a couple of songs with prayer, the presiding leader had prayed, and at least two more people with roles in the service had prayed. Each prayer had been spontaneous, heartfelt, and a joy. I knew then we were in for a rich time of Christian fellowship.
On the other hand, it pains me to remember the Sunday morning worship services where I was the guest preacher and noticed that by the time I stood to preach, not a single prayer–not one!–had been offered.
There is no more accurate indicator of a Christian’s spirituality or a church’s health than the vitality of our prayers.