"Just Show Me Where the People Are."

Recently Steve Haas came to our church as guest preacher. Steve is the Vice President for Church Relations for World Vision. On the day of his arrival in Atlanta it was my privilege to help show him around our church facility – get him oriented to our sanctuary and the setting in which he would soon preach.

As we were walking around the building Steve shared a recent experience of his in which he had hosted a contemporary Christian musician who was visiting the headquarters of World Vision. After touring the offices for a while, Steve asked this Christian rocker if there was anything else in particular he would like to see. The response was surprising but wonderfully honest. The musician said, “Just show me where the people are.”

There may be something generational about this. I don’t know – but it seems that many like myself came of spiritual “age” in an era of Christendom that values institutions and programs and buildings. We know we’re making an impact when these things are large and thus deemed successful. But now, something else is happening and it isn’t about programs and institutions and buildings. It’s relational, connectional. It’s all about the people. The terse request of the musician says it well. “Just show me where the people are.” The offices and rooms and equipment aren’t really that interesting anymore.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20 Paul writes to his new converts and asks “for what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? For you are our glory and joy (ESV).” Paul seems to be making his point by asking questions. The point is simple. His glory and joy, that in which he boasts, are the people in Thessalonica who have heard the good news about Jesus and turned from serving idols to serving the living and true God (1:9). They are people whose lives have been changed by the message of what God has done in Jesus. The first thing Paul wants to show us about his ministry is people. He points and says “look at them!”

Of course, this doesn’t negate the need and importance of buildings and equipment. Congregations seem more apt to gather when there are four sound walls and a good roof overhead, when someone has planned a purpose or agenda for the gathering, when it’s generally understood what will happen and when resources are managed in such a way that the intent of the gathering can actually be realized. The institutional life of the church simply will not and cannot go away.

But ultimately the question that demands to be answered is about people. What’s happening to the lives of people as the institution does its thing? Honestly, I’m more likely to seek my glory and joy and boasting in some inanimate achievement like a well attended program or a bible study where people laugh at all my witticisms (and then tell me how good it was).

But is anyone being changed? Is anyone even being helped . . . just a little?

I like what happens when we take Paul’s questions and let the Christian rocker give the answer. “For what is our glory and joy and crown of boasting?”

“Just show me where the people are.”