“Plop, Pray, and Pay“

Introduction. Luke 18:3-8 Note Jesus’ question—“When the Son of Man comes will He really find faith on the earth?”

In 2012 the Pew Research Center published an analysis of some religious trends in the United States entitled “‘Nones’ on the Rise.” It found that in five years the number of those who identified themselves as having no religious affiliation had risen from 15% in 2007 to 20% in 2012. What is striking about this is the fact that of these 46 million unaffiliated, 68% believe in God, 37% consider themselves “spiritual” but not religious, and 21% say they pray everyday (http://www.pewforum.org/2012/10/09/nones-on-the-rise/).

Sociologist Josh Packard, playing off of this has done some additional research that will be published in an upcoming book entitled Church Refugees.  into those he calls the “dones.” These are people who were once very involved in organized religion, but at some point became tired of what author Thom Schultz calls “the Sunday routine of plop, pray and pay.” Schultz claims these “dones”—“want to participate. But they feel spurned at every turn” (“The Rise of the ‘Dones’” http://www.thedones.com/the-rise-of-the-dones/) This group of disillusioned souls come from a broad background of religious experience and seem to reflect a growing tendency in America as a whole to place much less importance on religious commitment.

I. Is There a “Plop, Pray, and Pay” Routine? The fact that some people feel this way about organized religion should lead us to ask a few questions.

A.        Do we practice vain worship? Jesus condemned worship that was “vain” or meaningless (Matt. 15:7-9).

1.      Worship based on man-made traditions and not the word of God is meaningless.

2.      Jesus condemned vain repetitions (Matt. 6:7-8). 

3.      Worship as God intended it is meaningful and not simply idle routine.

B.        Does the fact that something is routine necessarily mean it is vain? The Bible teaches Christians to practice some routines.

1.      We are to assemble regularly (Heb. 10:23-24).

2.      We are to do things “decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40).

3.      The challenge is not to do something different every time, but to keep what we do routinely meaningful at all times.

C.        Do we “pay” for worship? I have mentioned before how I once heard that a little child had described the Lord’s Supper when asked about it in a Bible class. She asked, “Is that when we eat a little cracker, and drink a little juice, and pay for it afterwards?”

1.      Why does the church take up a collection?—It is commanded to carry out the work of the church (1 Cor. 16:1-2).

a.       This work includes support for those who preach—“the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:14).

b.      Support to those who serve as elders and “labor in the word and doctrine” (1 Tim. 5:17-18).

c.       Support for qualified widows with no family to support them (1 Tim. 5:3-16).

d.      Relief to needy saints (Acts 2:45).

2.      Worship is not something for which we “pay.”

a.       Contribution is a personal and voluntary act of worship (2 Cor. 9:7).

b.      While Christians should choose to give in worship to God, the opportunity to worship is freely offered.

II. Why do “Dones” Come to Feel This Way? There is actually a website called “The Dones” intended to give voice to this group with articles and recourses expressing their point of view. A section entitled “Meet the Dones” gives a series of personal stories about how various people came to consider themselves part of the “Dones.” By looking at some of these it can help us identify some of the causes of this.

A.        Sometimes it comes from religious leaders’ unwillingness to answer questions.

1.      A woman named Johanna writes, “When I have wanted to engage in conversation about why the pastor is the one that gets paid and not the others in the 5-fold ministry... any and all questions have been defensively dismissed.”

2.      Johanna’s denomination had an unscriptural view of the “pastor” as the one who preaches—but it should be that any religious practice is subject to scrutiny.

3.      We are to “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thess. 5:21).

B.       Sometimes it is because members of a church have failed to show love.

1.      A woman who identifies herself simply as “Southern Lady” writes sadly, “When I was diagnosed with cancer only parishioners visited and no one sat with my husband at my second surgery.”

2.      What a sad testimony! This term “parishioner” stems from the Catholic designation of particular regions under a priest. It has come to be applied to members of a particular church.

3.       As the Bible teaches it all members are to care for one another, especially when we face illness (Matt. 25:34-40).

a.       This is not just the responsibility of preachers or elders—all Christians should do this as we are able.

C.        Sometimes it is a response to man-made religion.

1.      A man by the name of Brett who speaks of involvement in a church for 37 years writes, “I have never encountered in any church I’ve been involved in anything that resembles the church in the book of Acts... the church has been replaced by going to a man-made organization and show...”

2.       If a religious group doesn’t follow the patterns of Scripture it is not the Lord’s Church (2 Tim. 1:13; Phil. 4:9).

D.      Sometimes it is a rejection of what the Bible says.

1.      The woman who called herself “Southern Lady” wrote, “I can not sit thru another worship service celebrating  ‘Love for all’ when it is all white, all English, all heterosexual.”

a.       Now certainly, the gospel is not for only one race or language, but the Bible condemns homosexuality.

b.       Another woman named Jill wrote, “one of my children asked, ‘Couldn’t we just find a church that welcomes gay people?’”—This is not just an attitude that is looking for proper attitudes but one that is seeking tolerance of sinful practice.

c.       All sinners are acceptable before God if they turn from their sin in obedience to the gospel (1 Cor. 6:9-11).

2.       A woman named Lucy, who speaks of her former association with a denomination in which she was “an elder,” writes, “...all members are gifted to minister and, yes, even teach. I’m drawn to the organic church where leadership positions are few, if any, and all are on equal footing...”

a.       Now Lucy was already headed in an unscriptural direction if she presumed to serve as an elder. The Bible teaches an elder (or deacon) is to be the “husband of one wife” (1 Tim. 3:2; cf. 3:12)—In the Greek lit. “a one woman man.” A woman is not a man and cannot be “a one woman man.”

b.      But, Lucy also seems to ignore that the word of God (not human beings) teaches restrictions on women’s roles in the church (1 Cor. 14:34-35; 1 Tim. 2:11-12).

E.       Sometimes it is because of personal desires.

1.      Finally, a man by the name of Andrew, writes, “I am done. On Sunday a.m. and all day Sunday, I’ll be out somewhere in nature, sunshine or snow, getting healthy exercise and enjoying God’s creation. With other like-minded believers, if they don’t mind doing it on the hoof and aren’t determined to be completely sedentary on Sunday.”

a.       The Bible teaches Christians to meet on Sunday, “the first day of the week” (Acts 20:7).

b.       Another man named Ryan, writes. “I see that church is good for everyone for a while but not for everyone for all of life. Unless you’re called to teach or pastor, it isn’t beneficial to be a choir member to be preached to week-in, week-out till you die.”

c.       As the Bible teaches it “pastor” is one of the names applied to elders, and I would say to Ryan, the Bible doesn’t teach that the church has choirs, so no a person doesn’t need to be a choir member.

d.      But, the Bible does teach faithfulness to the Lord and service to Him for life (Rev. 2:10).

Conclusion. It is sad that so many souls have come to feel these things about matters of faith. Worship of God must be a personal thing in which we each engage.

•         In those cases where the improper attitudes contribute to this may we ever strive to show the love and concern for one another that avoids our own brethren ever feeling this way.

•         When these attitudes come from a rejection of man-made religion how I wish we could show them a faith that follows biblical patterns. Let’s seek out these souls and show them another way.

•         But in those examples where this stems from a rejection of God’s word or a craving to follow personal desires, we must ever stand firm on the revelation of God’s will. The world will reject it, but we must stand firm.

If you feel trapped in a “plop, pray, and pay” routine don’t come to the point you are simply “done” with faith—become more personally involved. Make your time in worship meaningful by engaging your heart, mind, and soul. If you need help with this reach out and let us help—don’t wait till you come to a point you are just “done.”