There is nothing wrong with a church that uses professional stage lighting, fifteen inch subwoofers, a jumbotron projector, or a king size bed on stage to preach on sex in marriage, as long as these things serve the proclamation of Jesus Christ. But those accessories have created an appetite in churchgoers who expect the gimmicks more than the gospel. It’s nice to be spoon-fed a video clip, a drama skit, a slick rock band. But ultimately the church serves God: it doesn’t exist to tickle the funny bone. When churchgoers start to say I love that song in place of I love God, it’s all gone wrong and upside-down.
When I hear a regular Sunday attendee say things like, “That was a funny sermon,” “Service was okay today,” or, “The praise team really rocked,” I’m not sure how I should respond. They’re not saying that to offend anyone. If anything it’s a meaningful, straight-from-the-bottom-of-the-heart compliment. But I wonder if they really got the point of the whole thing: they didn’t come to be entertained or feel good or take pictures. They came to experience the explosive, righteous, all-consuming presence of God. We go to church to have our faces melted off. Some people say they go to church broken; I say not broken enough.
Church is not a place to entertain, babysit, woo, or cure: it is the house of God, a holy ground of love and transformation. We call it both a sanctuary and a safe haven. It’s a hospital for the sick and a sacred place for saints. In the church there should be room for quaint humor, loud laughter, for comfort. But a look at the cross shows the cost of sin for our Savior; it is not comfortable, not a laughing matter, not to be illustrated by a disco ball and dance teams. In the resurrection of Christ we have total victory over every evil. No concert could ever convey that sort of grandeur. 
After revivals and retreats, sometimes the leaders take a survey. It’s helpful to hear criticism. But I think this creates a backwards attitude to the work of God. When someone rates a retreat a “three out of zero,” did they come with the right heart? Or if another person rates it “ten out of ten,” is that also the right heart? Rating a retreat gives a sense that we can rate God’s presence based on how many friends we made, how many songs we liked, and how much we cried and jumped up and down.
No doubt that the church is called to excellence. The praise team should play well enough to not be distracting. The pastor should be competent. The seats should be clean. The projector should work. I just see such wrong attitudes come in the door that I wonder why they even come at all: arms crossed, foot tapping, mouths open for spoon-fed spiritual junk food. It’s right to come with a sharp ear but it must be for the Word, not against it. No one is transformed by a rock show pastor, but neither is anyone changed when they expect one. Life comes from Christ: because He loves you, and if the pastor preaches that, you won’t need your favorite songs on Sundays.
