My first Sunday in Australia

Church and Christianity in Australia are viewed by the majority as irrelevant to life. Only around 5% will attend a place of worship today.
America fairs slightly better at around 12%.
But like Australia there are a growing number of people in the US who see particularly Church as irrelevant to life.

Truth be told – often Church is irrelevant to life.
But, Christianity isn’t.
And that’s our problem.
How do we hold the most relevant hope and reality there is (life with God) in a vessel (the Church) that in so many ways is unattractive, irrelevant and misrepresentative of the Jesus who is the head of her?

So I walked into the Fortress to be the guest preacher today.
The Fortress is the central Perth, Western Australia main citadel.
A central corp of the Salvation Army and led by Majors Barry and Ros who are two neat relevant pastors.
I’d met them yesterday as we lead coaching for Army officers and leaders. They introduced me to one of their equally neat leaders a guy called Robin. He’s in PR and I teased him about his trendy hairstyle, cool clothes and slightly graying partial beard – the necessary accessories to be cool.

Two neat majors and equally neat and cool lay leader ………

So today my eyes were slightly surprised when I entered the Fortress and the Major’s were in their old-fashioned Army uniform (only slightly because they were the Major’s); but then my eyes were shocked when Mr. Cool PR dude was also in his uniform!

Truth be told often Church is irrelevant to life.

I expected a marching band – and the musicality was excellent.
I expected a choir – and the harmonizing was excellent.
But in many ways it seemed so …… irrelevant.

What surprises me is that after some Salvation Army band music the band leader led us on drums into some modern worship music.
After church we ate in a really hip gourmet burger place.
I headed to their home and enjoyed watching Aussie Rules Footie on their modern HD TV.
We were taken to the airport by one of the uniform, band playing officers listening to modern rock music on the car stereo.
And my neat cool relevant Majors are dressed hipper than me!!!!!

My point is a point of confusion. It seems there is a dichotomy, a dichotomy that seems to be unnecessary.

I know the Army has a great heritage.
I know they have been a part of magnificent ministry.
I know all their rituals and traditions stem from reasonable roots.
I know you can’t just throw away history.
I know there are molehills and mountains.
I know there are things worth fighting to keep and fighting to lose.
I know they are a group of good people.

PS …….I’m writing this in Perth Airport waiting my flight to Melbourne and this really attractive girl has just sat down next to me. There are hundreds of empty seats and she chose to sit next to me. Maybe uncool, shirt tucked in, balding, fairskinned with freckles, skinny Scotsmen ……is the new cool!!!

Sorry for the sociological distraction – back to my first Sunday in Australia.

I know uniforms, band music, and Army titles are not central theological issues or even the issues.
But it sits on the surface of the bigger issue.

Churches (mine included) can embrace dichotomist realities that reveal an inauthenticity/hypocretisim that unchurched people sniff a mile away, and keep them miles away.

There is a strong call for us to be One.
That call is to trueness.

My first Sunday in Australia has got me questioning where I am not one. Where am I a walking dichotomy?