Ambiance

“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.” (Acts 17:10-12 KJV)

My wife is always my best source for excellent illustrations from life. She observes things (mostly from purely a woman’s perspective) and interprets them for me. Case in point, recently we went out with some members of our church to celebrate our daughter-in-law’s birthday. Occasionally, we like to try a restaurant of which we have not previously visited. Someone suggested a particular Italian restaurant not too far away from our home so we chose it for the meal. Everyone in our party seemed to enjoy the food they ordered and the service was good. However, the next morning my wife commented that if she were asked where she wanted to go on her birthday she would not choose the restaurant we had tried. I asked her why she felt that way and she said, “I enjoyed the food, but the atmosphere left something to be desired.”

So it is too many times with folks today who are looking to find a church. They seem more concerned about the “shell” than they are with the “Spirit.” Most people will want to go to a cathedral rather than a cave to worship, even if it means to forsake the truth. Yes, décor will win out over dedication almost every time.

It’s all about ambiance.