Christians Don't Do Optional

            Ann Hulbert writing for The Atlantic Monthly recently wrote about a way for Community Colleges to curb their low graduationrates.  According to the article, nearly 45% of US undergraduates are enrolled in two-year community colleges (what we used to call “junior college”).  In principle a person can complete a two-year associates degree in, well, two years.  However, the graduation and transfer rates are remarkably low.  Community colleges have tried offering ever increasing flexibility in order to enable students to complete their course of study.  Community colleges offer evening courses, one day a week courses, on-line courses, hybrid courses, weekend courses, fast-track courses.  Nothing seems to work.

            The article then went on to describe a program that has had tremendous success.  The program called ASAP functioning out of a urban community college in New York.  ASAP swims against the stream by demanding that students enroll full time, attend meetings with their advisors once every two weeks, attend class, and meet deadlines.  The program’s director said that the motto of the program that will be engraved on her tombstone is, “students don’t do optional.” 

            Compare this to congregations.  Congregations have turned themselves inside out hoping to appeal to prospective members.  Disciples churches in particular have resisted anything that resembles a demand.  We have looked at “demanding” churches and judged them as judgmental, mindless, and guilt-dependent.   Congregations have tried to be all things to all people.  The effort to accommodate people has largely failed.  Fewer and fewer people attend church regularly.  People’s definition of “regular church attendance” has dropped from “weekly” church attendance to “monthly” church attendance.  Said bluntly:  we have become a church of the optional and Christians, by and large, don’t do optional.

            Perhaps the Bible’s capacity to endure comes from the fact that it doesn’t speak in optional language.  “What does the Lord require of you” (Micah 6:8) and “They devoted themselves” (Acts 2:42) and “This is the way, walk in it!” (Isaiah 30:21).  Strong language.  Non-optional language.  Of course a congregation like ours that was built from the very beginning on doctrines that emphasize human freedom cannot change their character over night.  We depend on people making their own choices.  Right now, the challenge we face is that people are making their choices and not choosing the optional things we have designed the church to be.