A church wrapped up in itself makes a very small bundle

OK, it usually reads a man wrapped up in himself, but it is equally relevant to the church, as this excerpt points out:

The Church is never true to itself when it is living for itself, for if it is chiefly concerned with saving its own life, it will lose it. The nature of the Church is such that it must always be engaged in finding new ways by which to transcend itself. Its main responsibility is always outside its own walls in the redemption of common life. That is why we call it a redemptive society. There are many kinds of religion, but redemptive religion, from the Christian point of view, is always that in which we are spent on those areas of existence which are located beyond ourselves and our own borders.—Company of the Committed, page 69

and, a bit later, he makes an interesting observation that is probably even truer today than it was 50 years ago:

In many contemporary Christian congregations the entire church operation points to a climax on Sunday morning, a conception which would have seemed very strange indeed to the early Christians. Often the major effort during the week is promotion of Sunday, the printed church paper plugging constantly for a bigger attendance. Sunday morning, then, when it finally comes, has something of the mood of a much advertised athletic contest, for which the team has prepared and to which it has been pointed all week. Finally, at twelve o'clock on Sunday, the whistle blows, the climactic event is over for another week, and the spectators go home to relax. If any reader imagines that this is a caricature, he ought to study the promotional material put out by countless churches — material which gives the undeniable impression that, for the Christian, the week is a preparation for Sunday. This is a complete reversal of the Christian pattern and something which finds no support whatever in the New Testament. The Christian pattern, if taken seriously, means exactly the opposite — namely, that what happens on Sunday is defensible only as a preparation for the daily ministry of the week which follows.

Worship is important, but it tends to be overemphasized in the contemporary church. It is very easy for the emphasis on worship to become a throwback to the Temple rather than a pushing forward to the strategy of Christ as represented in the Valiant Seventy.—Company of the Committed, pages 71-72

<idle musing>
Can you say prophetic? This is especially relevant in the time period leading up to Christmas. Christmas, the time we are supposed to celebrate the birth of the one who frees us from bondage! And what do we do? We get ourselves all tied up in knots of bondage trying to celebrate it!?? What a sad commentary that is. We cry, "Lord! Set us free!" little realizing he already has, but we walked back into bondage. If only we would walk in the freedom we already have!
</idle musing>