I had this thought today regarding two churches in CA that I visited in each of the past two summers.

The first one we would all recognize by name, professional, large, etc. I didn't like it. We discussed it after the visit in my class. All of the people in my class loved it, said they were friendly, professional, well prepared message, etc. To me it didn't feel like "church" (although my paradigm of what feels like "church" has changed dramatically recently).

The second one no one would know of, store-front church, great people, passionate for the Lord, candles in and around the sanctuary, etc. The class didn't like it, didn't feel like "church." I loved it, people were great, the sermon was passionate although some would say not prepared, they shared what they had done the past day on a mission trip to Mexico. They were meeting around the Lord, not programmed, but passionate.

Here is the moral I am trying to get at. No matter the quality of worship and study, people are willing to give a large, professional church with well-educated clergy more of a chance than a store-front church with not-so-educated servants of the Lord. What does that tell us about our culture.

I need to think more on this.