Freshman year I got the opportunity to travel to Disney World with the band, but it was a long process getting there. A year before I was running around town selling millions of boxes of cookie dough so I could raise money. I worked concession stands, sold wrapping paper, even one of my lungs so I would raise enough money.
The trip was probably one of the best experiences of my life. I'm not one for amusement parks, but the "magic of Disney" certainly caught on. I enjoyed just about every second of it and hope to go back one day. However I don't know that I ever will. The price, security checks, little things like flash passes and IDs were rituals that hindered my enjoyment, and I don't really want to deal with that if I have to meet all these qualifications just to get in.
What if it was free to get into Disney World? What if we didn't have to worry about remembering our ID or flash pass? What if I didn't have to go through numerous security checks to make sure I was adequate, wouldn't that be great?
Truth is, the lines would get really long and everyone might get tired of the park. However, there is a place where you don't have to get bored...
Yes, church is free, and as long as we're looking, it'll never get boring. But for some reason we tend to put up barriers that keep others from wanting to come. We get caught up in our same method (yea, I'm a UM) of church that we don't keep our eyes open to how others view the church-going bunch.
Dressing up for church, for example. If you dress nicely for church, go ahead. But if that is high on your priority list, I ask that you rethink your values. Sometimes we're late because we're too busy getting an outfit together or fixing our hair, but how often do we spiritually get ready?
Do you think Jesus got dressed up nicely before he preached? NO, Jesus was a smelly homeless man who preached to prostitutes in dusty streets! If that statement can be said about the Lord, there is obviously something more to true worship than the physical aspects. We've come to think that our physical features reflect our attitude towards worship, when in fact it is our heart.
In turn, visitor began to see the physical. People who yearn for Jesus do not want to have qualifications to reach Him- have we forgotten the Grace we have been given?
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