Packaging, Cheese, Grace and Designer Churches…

I was involved in an interesting dialogue regarding packaging, brands etc.. today. It stimulated the beginning of an unconnected muse or two!

As a cheese lover I like my real authentic cheese to be packaged in waxed paper not Clingfilm! It allows the cheese to be at its best. The packaging is not pretty, not eye catching but it performs a function. The product is the focus not the packaging.

The church shows an unhealthy pre-occupation with packaging. Perhaps there’s packaging and then there’s packaging.

I wonder if grace could be the gospel’s packaging. It shouldn’t be eye-catching but it should perform a function - that of demonstrating the Kingdom and reveal Jesus and the true hope and liberation he represents.

As soon as the packaging becomes something to big up the product – we’ve got problems. As soon as the packaging becomes the focus it makes the product insignificant. As soon as the packaging becomes the centre of attention we become victims of spin. Then we wonder why people do not want to engage with God through the church that is seen largely as inauthentic.

Designer churches beware…!

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