So lately I’ve been reading The Jesus I Never Knew, by Philip Yancey.
I’ve been meaning to note this for weeks, and just now thought of it again.
On page 16, Yancey, is commenting about how few people Jesus talked to in relationship to Billy Graham. He remarks that “this Galilean, who in his lifetime spoke to fewer people than would fill just one of the many stadia Graham has filled, changed the world more than any other person.”
One word in this sentence really made me think. Stadia. The definition that I knew for Stadia was that it was a unit of measurement. However, in this instance, it’s defined as a plural of a stadium, a large venue that holds a lot of people.
One of the church planting organizations that I am quite familiar with, and looked into working with, is called Stadia. I’ve always thought it kind of a strange name, to be named for a measurement (I mean, I can make the jump to the fact that they want to reach so many people, etc, but…). But now, I couldn’t help but associate the organization Stadia with stadiums. Being a strong proponent of house churches, organic movements, and having a lot of baggage from megachurches, the corporate church-planting movement, etc., I just sat there and wondered if that was really Stadia’s goal-to fill stadiums (or, large megachurches that feel like stadiums…and they are out there, because I sat in one last night, and two of us audibly asked “Hey, where are the cupholders?”)
If we are filling stadiums, with people that are professing Jesus, that’s awesome. But…where is the life change, where is the personal relationships, where are the people that hold them accountable, where are the people that challenge that the Bible includes much that isn’t feel good, like helping the widows and orphans.
Ironically, I can remember my dad making some of those comments after a Billy Graham conference roared through town, leaving many people really convicted, but unconnected to any local church. Hmmmm.
Last thought-Church planting and megachurch discussion aside, the next line of that quote is really interesting too-”He introduced a new force field into history, and now holds the allegiance of a third of all people on earth.”
