I think I’ll coin a new word: Churchianity.
Sometimes, I don’t see a lot of Christianity. Instead, I only see “churchianity.”
What is churchianity? Churchianity is the busy-ness, spectator sport of attending a weekly corporate worship service or two, but not living out a life fully committed as a follower of Christ on other days of the week. People merely go to church but they do not live out “church” in everyday life! They are looking to be served rather than to serve Christ and others. They are not “missional.”
Sadly, most people are simply “doing church” and “churchianity” rather than following hard after Christ as one of His devoted disciples.
Matthew 28:19-20 reminds us to fulfill the great commission of Christ to: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”*
*The Holy Bible : English standard version. 2001 (Mt 28:19-20). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.
How does a weekly or twice a week service qualify as Christianity when there is a lost and dying world out there that needs to hear the Gospel? Do we really live in light of the reality of eternal suffering? Does that motivate us? It should.
Christianity is radical by definition. It’s a shame we have to use the term “radical” because it ought to be the standard; however, because of “churchianity,” now we must differentiate and use terms like “radical” to describe what we ought to be doing anyway: fulfilling the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20).
-Mark (using language to bring clarity to our understanding of the Scriptures)