How did church become so defined, a program....

How did church become so defined, like a program, in some cases like fast food take out?
It seems to me that I can go for a quick fix of what in many circles has become a form of entertainment. I go, sing a few songs, look around while I pretend to be engaged, watch the offering and the bread and wine go round and then listen to a message I have heard, sometimes what seems like a cozillion times over.

We go to get our quick fix, to get served and be on our way to participate in our increasingly busy lives.

I wonder if this is how Jesus meant church to be.

I wonder if service should not be a larger part of church. Perhaps we should go to serve instead of being served. Perhaps many of us are already figuratively speaking, obese with spiritual knowledge.

I wonder if church body's were smaller and less cumbersome, if then maybe each attendee would be more engaged, if service would then be more common. Perhaps then community and fellowship would be more present then too.

The church is getting bigger and bigger and bigger, but is the heart of it growing at the same rate. Is the heart of it healthy. How many of us if truly tried and tested like some in other country`s, would continue in this ritual of attending.

Do we go because it means something to us or because that is where are friends are? Do we go to serve or be served? Do we go to worship or be worshipped?

Does the heart of church need a transplant or is it healthy and vibrant?

I have seen church change so much over my life time, growing up people went to 2 Sunday morning services, an evening and a weekday service. Now its one service and maybe a small group function. Its not that having more services like the old days is better, but perhaps it does speak to the health of church at least a little bit.

Possibly it says that people are not as engaged. Possibly it suggests that we don`t need a higher being, after all we can be quite self sufficient here in North America.

So if the trend continues, where will church be in 10 years, or in 20.

Numbers might suggest healthiness, but the fact that it is very difficult to get any one to serve might suggest it is not. The fact that people don`t read their bibles and know what they themselves believe could also be a concern. We listen to lots of speakers give their interpitation, but do we read Gods word and let ``the speaker`` speak to us.

At my core, am I healthy, are you, is the church....are we a surrendered bible reading, praying, Jesus loving entity?