What is the difference between entertaining someone or engaging them? There are striking similarities as well as vast differences.
When Brittnee and I first started dating, I was entertaining her. I was sweet, mushy, took her out to eat, texted and talked a lot, and rarely fussed. I thought she was pretty hot so I wanted to put on a good show for her and keep her entertained so she would stay around.
But after a year or so of that, things got more serious between us. I decided to step up my pursuit of her from entertainment to engagement. I proposed to her on May 27, 2011 at the lake and had a big surprise party planned with friends and family when we got back from a boat ride. Fortunately she said yes, or she would have been swimming with the fishes. Just kidding! Once we got engaged, I was committed to making her happy. It was no longer about just putting on a good show to entertain her, there had to be depth to our relationship. We were together in both the good and bad that life then threw at us. We were committed to each other no matter what.
In Exodus 32, the people are in the wilderness and Moses has been delayed on the mountain. They have asked Aaron to help them in making up gods to go before them, and have taken are their golden items and formed the golden calf and began to praise this new object as their idol that had brought them out of Egypt. Verse 6 reads, "And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." The people had given on being engaged with Moses leading them to the Promised Land, and needed entertainment to pass the time resulting in straying and worshipping the calf.
A.W. Tozer writes, "Worship is the missing jewel in evangelicalism today. The church today has decked herself with everything to amuse and entertain. Entertainment, I contend, is the curse of the church. It is the devil's replacement for worship. If only Christians would understand that you cannot come into the presence of God with entertainment on your mind. All of that must be pushed aside in a very disciplined and deliberate manner. It is either entertainment or it is worship. Just as you cannot mix oil and water, so you cannot mix the oil of the Holy Spirit with the watered-down religion passing for Christianity today."
After reading this article about Millennials leaving the church, http://faithit.com/12-reasons-millennials-over-church-sam-eaton/ I cannot help but wonder if this is what the church is still doing today. Are we focused on entertainment? On music? Programs? Websites? Podcasts? Or do we want to get more serious than entertainment and take it to the next level of engagement? That is where fruit really begins being produced.
Back to the example of Brittnee and me, when were dating and entertaining, we had no fruit. We went out, hung out with friends, and enjoyed each other's company (she probably 'liked' me more then than now). But now, we are building a house together, raising a child, and making a life together. Those fruits came AFTER we got engaged. There is a difference between entertainment and engagement and the church must find that missing link to bridge the gap. And hopefully it'll cost less than our engagement ring. But the rewards are absolutely worth it!
When Brittnee and I first started dating, I was entertaining her. I was sweet, mushy, took her out to eat, texted and talked a lot, and rarely fussed. I thought she was pretty hot so I wanted to put on a good show for her and keep her entertained so she would stay around.
But after a year or so of that, things got more serious between us. I decided to step up my pursuit of her from entertainment to engagement. I proposed to her on May 27, 2011 at the lake and had a big surprise party planned with friends and family when we got back from a boat ride. Fortunately she said yes, or she would have been swimming with the fishes. Just kidding! Once we got engaged, I was committed to making her happy. It was no longer about just putting on a good show to entertain her, there had to be depth to our relationship. We were together in both the good and bad that life then threw at us. We were committed to each other no matter what.
In Exodus 32, the people are in the wilderness and Moses has been delayed on the mountain. They have asked Aaron to help them in making up gods to go before them, and have taken are their golden items and formed the golden calf and began to praise this new object as their idol that had brought them out of Egypt. Verse 6 reads, "And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play." The people had given on being engaged with Moses leading them to the Promised Land, and needed entertainment to pass the time resulting in straying and worshipping the calf.
A.W. Tozer writes, "Worship is the missing jewel in evangelicalism today. The church today has decked herself with everything to amuse and entertain. Entertainment, I contend, is the curse of the church. It is the devil's replacement for worship. If only Christians would understand that you cannot come into the presence of God with entertainment on your mind. All of that must be pushed aside in a very disciplined and deliberate manner. It is either entertainment or it is worship. Just as you cannot mix oil and water, so you cannot mix the oil of the Holy Spirit with the watered-down religion passing for Christianity today."
After reading this article about Millennials leaving the church, http://faithit.com/12-reasons-millennials-over-church-sam-eaton/ I cannot help but wonder if this is what the church is still doing today. Are we focused on entertainment? On music? Programs? Websites? Podcasts? Or do we want to get more serious than entertainment and take it to the next level of engagement? That is where fruit really begins being produced.
Back to the example of Brittnee and me, when were dating and entertaining, we had no fruit. We went out, hung out with friends, and enjoyed each other's company (she probably 'liked' me more then than now). But now, we are building a house together, raising a child, and making a life together. Those fruits came AFTER we got engaged. There is a difference between entertainment and engagement and the church must find that missing link to bridge the gap. And hopefully it'll cost less than our engagement ring. But the rewards are absolutely worth it!
Comments
Post a Comment