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What would happen if churches would remove the Queen?
Many people love to play chess. I’m not much of a chess player although I enjoy playing.
Typically, I overuse the Queen. Because the Queen is so versatile, my objective is usually to get the Queen out there and then use the Queen as much as I can to take out my opponent’s pieces.
A few years ago, someone told me that if I wanted to be a more effective chess player, I needed to learn to use the other pieces on the chess board and that I should surrender the Queen at the beginning of the game and remove it from the board. This would force me to learn to utilize the remaining pieces. Then, after learning to win without the Queen, I could add the Queen back to the board and I’d be a better chess player utilizing all the pieces.
Many churches overuse the Queen.
What is the Queen? Too often the “Queen” is the Sunday morning worship service. Churches tend to use the Sunday service to try to accomplish everything – worship, teaching, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship. What if we could change that? Most churches won’t consider canceling Sunday services to learn how to be the church 24/7. I understand that. But why not take the time to consider how you would function as a church if you no longer had Sunday worship services. How would you “be the church” if you couldn’t simply “do church” by worshiping together on Sunday morning?
And if you are a church planter, you are in a unique situation. Before you start Sunday services, you can learn how to utilize the “other pieces” and to be the church all week long. Then, when you start Sunday services in the future, you’ll be more effective because you’re not dependent on the Queen (Sunday worship) to accomplish everything.
Stop and Think: How could you start being the church and not be dependent on “doing church” on Sundays?
