Black Friday Madness

Have you ever read the small print? I wish I had before I ran out this morning. But in the process of being disappointed, a thought occurred to me that we often do the same thing in church. --Not to confuse you, let me start at the beginning...

I hadn't planned on being a part of the game. I have done mine in the past, and have somewhat retired from the Black Friday thing. I still do Christmas shopping, but not on this day. Rising early to be in line somewhere at 5 or 6 AM, rushing through the crowds and struggling to get that one or two items, then rushing to another store. I remember the adrenaline rush as I was successfully mastered the game. But for me, at age 56, the thrill is gone. I am at a point in my life where I had rather pay another twenty bucks or even fifty bucks more to avoid the hassle.

So my wife and I are sitting in the living room this morning discussing some plans for one of the bedrooms. I am going to convert it over to a mini office, put in a recliner, while at the same time allowing it to serve as a bedroom when needed. I mentioned that it needed a TV, so she said they are on sale today, I should run out and get one.

Wow, what a deal! I was going to get a 32" Plasma for $258. I would not have to strain my eyes to read the small print when changing the channels. It would be worth getting ready, and going out in the cold this morning. It would also be worth facing the crowd and waiting in the lines. Looking at the Wal Mart website, I found a great deal, from 5 to 11 AM. It was 9 AM at the time, so I ran out, got there about 9:30. However, when I arrived, I did not see my TV. I didn't even see anything close to being the same deal. That is when I read the small print. Limited supplies, no rain checks. Here I was, I had gotten my expectations up. Disappointed? You bet!
It seems the door buster advertisements are there to get you in the door. There will be only a few, for first come. Trickery? Maybe not in the legal term, but realistically, yes. I walked out the door without buying anything.

Then I thought of the slick advertising we sometimes do in the church. We will put it in our bulletins, fliers, post it on our doors and walls, plaster it on billboards and signs. We will have our people announcing it everywhere. We're telling of the "great deals", the signs and wonders, the revival taking place. Please don't take this the wrong way, because as a pastor, I appreciate all the excitement and positive news we can get for the local church. But I must say, sometimes I walk away disappointed. I think the conference offered a lot of bling, but short on substance. We've got people walking out of the church talking about a wonderful service who can't tell you a thing about what happened or what was said.

Yeah, I have seen the Black Friday Madness. I was there. Been there, done that. I have also seen the Black Sunday Madness. When there was a lot of hype, but somewhat like the giant store, the church didn't produce as advertised. I can't control the game they play on Black Friday. But in my corner of the world at the church I pastor, by the grace of God we can change ours. No more false (or misleading) advertising, we're keeping it real!