How far is too far?

An evangelical church in Philadelphia distributed a brochure giving ten reasons to visit their Sunday evening service:

The air conditioning feels great.

Coffee and goodies for everyone after every service.

The music is upbeat and easy to sing.

You get to meet some really neat people.

The sermon is always relevant to everyday life.

You can sleep in on Sundays and still make it to church on time.

Child care and children's church are provided.

Free parking!

You can go to the shore for the weekend and still make it to church on Sunday night.

You will discover an awesome God who cares about you.
When I saw that I was reminded of an advertising brochure I had come across some years before. See if you can guess what is being described. This brochure was printed in full color with pictures of attractive people, and the cover read:
"This Is Where It's At." Inside it had headings like these:
It's about family.

It's about style.

It's about giving.

It's about fun.

It's about the best way to please everybody.

It's about caring.

Actually, the brochure was an advertisement for the Liberty Tree Mall in Danvers, Massachusetts. But its appeal is virtually undistinguishable from that of the churches I am describing.

-- James Boice, Whatever Happened to the Gospel of Grace?