Is this it?!

Yesterday, after driving around the area, sort of window-shopping for houses while Eszti finished up her morning nap, we made our way to worship at one of the churches in Budapest that was started by missionaries ca. 10-15 years ago. By most measures, this church is doing fairly well; they successfully transitioned from an American missionary pastor to a Hungarian pastor, there were 50 or so people there (though regular attendance might be more, since it's the summer and most Hungarians are on vacation), they have small groups, a great facility, church plants in the works, etc. All in all--and certainly compared to the vast majority of other Hungarian churches--a pretty decent church. And yet, for some reason as I participated in the service I couldn't help but become disappointed.

After spending some time reflecting on the experience, I've come to two conclusions. First, no doubt due to my recent interest in and reading the writings of the Early Church Fathers (1st & 2nd Century), our modern Protestant/Evangelical Church seems to be a far cry away from how it all started. And though the issue goes much deeper, the Sunday morning service is the most visible representation of the distance separating the early church and the modern. Did Jesus intend for our Sabbath to consist primarily of singing songs and listening to a sermon, interspersed by some announcements and short prayers, along with the occasional celebration of the Lord's Supper? I don't know. Somehow my heart/spirit longs for something more.

I have known a few churches that were focused on growing, at least with regard to corporate worship. In one case, the pastor and many of the members were pursuing the Jewish roots of Christian worship--attempting to to learn how Jesus worshipped with the disciples, and since he is the model for our lives, follow his lead. For some, that might be appealing, for others, maybe not. But the point is that the were not content with the status quo worship service, but rather were focused on the process of "becoming"--growing beyond where they presently are and moving towards becoming Christ's perfect bride. Sadly, however, it seems that the vast majority of churches here, as well as back in the U.S., are content with the modern conception of what Sunday morning looks like--sometimes tweaking parts of the service depending on the context, but leaving the overall framework the same. I don't, however, pretend to know the answer or have a complete vision of what that kind of service would look like. All I know is that many times I walk out the door after the service wondering, is this it?!

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, in the same way that I'm dissatisfied with the Sunday morning status quo, I'm dissatisfied with my own life, vis-á-vis what Christ desires/requires of me. Life is too short and there is too great a gap between where I'm at and where I am called to be(come), to keep drinking milk and taking baby steps. And I'm growing desperate to find a group of people (read "church") where we can help each other make significant strides in becoming the people God intends us to become. Who knows, but perhaps this potential church plant we are planning in Törökbálint will be part of the answer.