You Know Where You Are By What You See

If you were blindfolded and taken into a store anywhere in the United States and the blindfold was removed, and you saw a store mostly painted red, with red circles and circles inside circles, you might imagine you were in a Target® Store. If you removed the blindfold and you saw predominately a blue paint and little flowers and smiley faces, and the brand Great Value you would know you were in a Walmart® Store. The same could be said for any of a number of department stores, Sears®, Penny’s®, Kohls®, Kmart®, and the list could go on. Simply by our observation of what we see in a store, the colors, the arrangement, the store name brand, and so forth, we know the store. The philosophy of business of the store dictates the design and function of the store.

There is a cliche that states, “If it looks like a duck and quakes like a duck, it is a duck.” This may be applied to what we have been saying about these large department stores. You would not go into a Walmart® and expect to see little red targets. You would not go into a Sears® and find the Great Value brand. Because of the particular business philosophy of each business, each business has a particular way of designing the layout of the store, a particular way of presenting the items for sale, a particular way of advertizing, having sales, etc.

Since this connection is true in the business world, and since too many (one is too many) in the church would like to emulate the business world and incorporate the business model into the church, believing the church should be run like a business, certainly we can make a comparison in the church. Interestingly enough, although there are those who would like to run a church like a business, they do not want to compare the connection of the business philosophy to the way the business carries out their philosophy. The reason for this resistance to compare the two in this manner is because those who would like to run a church like a business want to make a disconnect from the business philosophy and the business practice.

The “brass tacks” of this is that even in the business world there is a connection between philosophy and practice just as in the church there is a connection between doctrine and practice. In the church some label this as “style” and “substance.” Style is practice and substance is doctrine or philosophy. In the business world they go together so that no matter in what store you shop, you know you are in that store. When there is a disconnect, as has been attempted in the church, there is confusion. So, although in years past if you went into any Lutheran Church, you knew you were in a Lutheran Church, the same cannot be said today, because, there are some Lutheran Churches who attempt to make this disconnect today. Which means that as the practice has changed, the style has changed, and the heart of this change can be traced to a change in substance, in doctrine. So, just as a business that changes its philosophy reflects this change in how it conducts business, so a church that has changed its doctrine shows this change in its practice. And the reverse is also true, if a church has changed its practice, its doctrine will change.

If you go to a church that looks like a Baptist Church, sounds like a Baptist Church, acts like a Baptist Church, etc., then you know you are in a Baptist Church. It does not matter what the name on the marquee is, non-denomination, pan-denomination, un-denomination, etc., it is what it practices. If you attend a Church that has the Lutheran name, but sounds, looks and acts like a Baptist Church, do not be fooled, it is a Baptist Church.

Perhaps we would do well to stop trying to fool people concerning who are what we are and be proud of our history, name, doctrine and practice.