And yet, and yet…

Anyone remember Skymall magazine? Man, what a trip that was.

I always enjoyed picking it up and dreaming about what possible world could need a dog-tanning bed or a cola warmer or a life-size Sasquatch garden statue. There certainly was no end to their creativity in selling useless junk.

And yet, the very presence of Skymall on planes spoke to the fact that there were indeed customers for these things, who would (over)spend on these indulgences.

In case we think that we as a culture have gotten past this phase, I’d invite you to check out the prices on a snack pack on an airplane today, the price of a churro at Six Flags, or essentially anything on a cruise ship.

This begs the question: why do we spend stupid amounts of money on things we don’t need, especially when we are traveling? How does “want” so easily transition to “need”?

The primary reason (especially in travel) is immediacy and narrow-vision. When you are trapped in a metal cylinder for 3 hours next to strangers you don’t want to talk to, the priority of meeting a “want” skyrockets in importance. Whereas you’d think it was insane to spend $16 on a ritz cracker and some cheese on a random work day, you’ll happily spend it on a plane to attack that aching hunger. We have a craving and an obsession to resolve our discomfort.

Ironically, traveling like a tourist tends to eliminate our context. I’m especially amazed on cruises when people who are struggling to make ends meet at home start shopping for jewelry that costs tens of thousands of dollars. Or when an excursion goes to a foreign place, just to buy a bunch of stuff that could easily be found on Amazon and does nothing for the local economy. When we travel, generally we tour to places that are all about us and our experience and our comfort. Thus when we go to purchase, we’re usually thinking only in the frame of our own minds, and only in the frame of that particular time context.

“Want” becomes “need” when our hearts get tunnel vision.

This is why my best experiences in travel have come when I stepped outside of my own wants and desires to experience life there. Instead of going to the tourist trap restaurant, it’s eating with a family in their home. Instead of going on the guided tour, it’s been discovering a city alongside people that live there. And sometimes, instead of spending money on souvenirs I don’t need, it’s directing that money to help a local church or ministry.

I’ve found in travel that when I choose to look outside of myself, I return satisfied.

Is it any wonder that we often treat church the same way?

When we get this need/want tunnel vision in the church, we begin to frame the things that we need and expect based on our own comforts and wants. We want things to sound a certain way, for people to act a certain way, for the coffee to taste a certain way. And if those perceived needs aren’t met, we return home discouraged.

Much like in travel, if we undertake the expeditions of travel as an opportunity to build ourselves up and be served, then we operate with a tunnel vision that will transform wants into needs. And if our satisfaction is the center of our worship, is it any wonder that we leave discouraged?

Like with travel, God intends church to be more about those who are there than your experience. It’s an opportunity to learn about those outside of your normal scope of life. It’s an opportunity to fellowship with one another, caring and being cared for. It’s an opportunity to take a risk and expand your world. I find those who treat church like real travel return satisfied. And beyond this, they can’t wait to share about their experiences with others.

In the community of faith, so many miss the real joy that it is to belong to a group of people radically different than you. It’s not about my experience or about my google review, but how I loved and served others. And how I received love and service from others in kind.

So when you move to worship in the next couple of weeks ask yourself: do I worship like a tourist? Is my goal to build experiences for myself and to leave taking more than I gave? Do I stick to only what I know and ignore the beauty of the world beyond? Instead of a home-cooked meal with friends, do you settle for a McDonalds in Egypt?

Or is my goal to invest in these places outside of my home? Is my goal to learn the hearts of those who are there and find ways to impact and invite? Do I seek to serve instead of to be served?

I know what kind of church experience I hope for. And it can’t be found in a Skymall.

Signs and wonders, y’all.

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:25-28