This is not a pick on the Catholic Church post. However this article sparked my interest.
“Not even prayer will save Holy Innocents, in south St. Louis, and 18 other churches – one built in 1860 – that have been put on the sale block by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Louis. The sale involves 80 parcels of property – schools, rectories, convents and churches.”
Personally speaking I dont think God necesarily cares two hoots if 1st Baptist Church nowherville stays open or not. I just think he cares if people are becoming Christians or not. I do think He chooses to use the church as His first option for that. If some churches that are dying had half a conscience, they would sell up and give the proceeds to a group of people, or another church, who are being effective in reaching people for Christ. This makes a powerful argument for buying. You cant give away what you dont own.
In my view we may be guilty of confusing the purposes of God with our own sentimentality.
Hi Mark,
I completely disagree, I think God is grieved when a church closes. Look through the NT and in all but two places you’ll find the church is the local expression of Christ’s body, the gathering of believers – ‘The church in Corinth, the churches in Galatia, the church that meets in Stephen’s house’. Christ died for unbelievers, but unbelievers are not his bride, the church is (of which the congregation is a local expression, a part of the body, the bride). Certainly some churches are unfaithful and need to close, but that’s not the same as saying God doesn’t care.
Thanks for your comments Alex, I dont think God is as sentimental as we are. I dont think God holds the Church, as in a local body calling itself 1st Baptist Church, in as high regard a we do. If that church wont do what He wants, He will turn His attention to the next one.
I think God cares about the people in the church, and I think He gets very frustrated with them
I guess I was assuming that ‘1st baptist church’ or whatever is the people – people in relationship and organised in an identifiable way. It’s not that ‘1st Baptist Church’ is not longer on the street, but that the fellowship has broken.