The phrase ‘seeker sensitive’ has dropped out of fashion recently. For those who haven’t heard the phrase, the idea of a ‘seeker sensitive service’ is a church gathering that focusses on the desires and needs of ‘spiritual seekers’—non-Christians with a thirst for knowing more about God. It aims to do everything possible to make it easy for them to come to church and enjoy the experience so that they come back and learn about God. Yet the Willow Creek Association, for example, once a champion of the ‘seeker sensitive’ model of church, has recently had a major rethink of some of its key values. In their book Reveal: Where Are You? by Greg Hawkins and Cally Parkinson, they speak frankly about the failures of an approach that was too heavily oriented towards growth in numbers rather than growth in maturity.
This post isn’t meant to be a critique or discussion of the Willow Creek model, or of church growth in general. However, I do want to explore the idea of being ‘seeker sensitive’. And to do that, I want to look briefly at a story from Luke’s Gospel—a passage that is all about a seeker:
And there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small of stature. (Luke 19:2-3 ESV)
Here is, in the Bible’s words, a true seeker—a man who seeks to see Jesus. Like many seekers in our world, there are all sorts of cultural barriers in his way. Zacchaeus isn’t a classic churchgoer. In fact, he’s a man who couldn’t show up in the synagogue without being despised. He’s a rich tax-collector—a corrupt businessman who’s betrayed his country. Besides, he’s short. He’s probably hurting and lonely. The only way for him to get to Jesus is through the unorthodox method of climbing a tree.
The question is, what does Jesus do for this seeker? Does Jesus show sensitivity to his needs and feelings? Does he create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere for Zacchaeus? Does he allow him time to experience spiritual connectedness with God? Well … not really. In fact, he seems to do the exact opposite. He draws attention to Zacchaeus by stopping and looking up at him. He commands him to come down. He tells Zacchaeus in no uncertain terms that he’s going to stay with him that night. It’s not quite the model of seeker sensitivity we’re used to.
Yet Jesus’ words and actions are strangely effective. Zacchaeus receives Jesus with joy (v. 7). And his life is radically changed that day: he turns away from his corrupt past, and promises to make amends immediately (v. 8). He is, in Jesus’ words, a saved Son of Abraham (v. 9).
What has happened here? Why has salvation come to Zacchaeus? How did it happen? Jesus explains it in verse 10: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10).
The reason that salvation came to Zacchaeus was not because Jesus was being particularly sensitive to his needs. It’s because Zacchaeus came face to face with Jesus, the one whose job it is to seek and save the lost. Indeed, by the end of the story, we see that the real seeker in this story is not Zacchaeus, but Jesus. Jesus is the one who seeks and saves: Jesus, the seeker, sought out Zacchaeus (even though Zacchaeus thought he was doing the seeking). He humbled him, he commanded him to come to him, and he brought about that joy and radical change of life that only Jesus can bring.
So, in short, I want to suggest that our church gatherings must be seeker-sensitive if they are to be truly effective. But by this, I mean that our church gatherings must be sensitive to the seeker of Luke 19:10. We must aim, in everything we do, to bring people face to face with the seeker—the Son of Man who came to seek and save the lost. In doing so, we will need to present the urgency of his demands and the need for radical repentance, as well as the joy of knowing him. Of course, we should also be sensitive to people, and seek to remove unnecessary distractions (e.g. strange clothing, music, jargon and traditions). But we do this not because we are trying to make lost people feel comfortable, but because we want lost people to focus upon the seeker of their souls, and so be saved.
I appreciated your comments Lionel. Your mention of the Willow Creek review of its programs and goals,“an approach too heavily oriented towards growth in numbers rather than growth in maturity” reminded me that this issue of a balanced approach often needs confronting by a church.
As a leader one must be very careful not to determine or impose on the congregation a selective approach to the vision /goals which reflects only our particular gifts and enthusiasms. We need the input,advice,views and especially criticism of all concerned being prepared to adjust our priorities or at least let them lie fallow for a time.
Excellent point and well made. We often lose sight of the church’s purpose (Eph. 3.21) and lose ground in expanding the kingdom. That was a practical Scripture-founded note and much needed. I’m going to enjoy reading posts on your site!
Thank you for pointing out the real, true seeker is not Zacchaeus, not us, but Jesus.
Nice spin on the phrase, “seeker-sensitive”. I like that. As you have shown who the real seeker is in this post, could you also do a more detailed post on the term, “sensitive” next time?
Yes, but is this consistent with the ‘Regulative Principle’ of worship that seeks to only replicate worship as practiced by the early church, as revealed in scripture?
Whilst the term ‘seeker-sensitive’ appeals to our cultural paradigm, does it have its place in a service? Should this paradigm be explored in other congregational life context’s? Its sounds like an argument for the ‘Normative Principle’.
Cheers.
Jesus sought out Zacchaeus and Zacchaeus was transformed into a seeker: not, of course, an indecisive and indiscriminate seeker or one who especially knows what he is seeking. Yet a real seeker whose tax grubbing hands are empty, who has not yet apprehended, but wants to apprehend because he is already apprehended (Phil 3.12f). And Jesus does not allow Zacchaeus to be merely a casual or even friendly seeker, preoccupied with unraveling facile cultural barriers. Zacchaeus is no longer a looky-loo who divides his powers between this seeking and a possessing. No! Zacchaeus is a true seeker. He seeks this one thing, his life in Christ, and all other possibilities have passed away.
Like Zacchaeus, once our Seeker finds us, our lives on earth may now be defined in “seeker-only” terms. This is the meaning of the imperative (Col. 3.1f): “Seek those things which are above, where Christ sits.… Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” As K. Barth puts it, “To seek that which is above means that we are to seek here and now, but not in this here and now, not on the earth, because, … the true life of the Christian is with Christ, his true and exalted life, his own proper life, which begins with the death of Christ as his own death, the death of the old man. Christ is above, and so too is the Christian in so far as he is in Christ.”
Ah, Stephen, the old ‘regulative principle’ chestnut. I’m not sure Lionel has said anything about church worship (sorry, ‘gatherings’, it is a Sydney site after all) that would necessarily imply tension with what God has explicitly mandated.
But then again, the regulative principle only represents a minor stream of Reformed thought, so it hardly seems to be a necessary criteria for this blog, don’t you think?