josh whitehead

Last September I had the chance to travel to Cape Town South Africa to work with Living Hope Ministries and a community called Mountain View – what a life-changing experience! One the way home, Mandy with ACTS met up with us in Johannesburg and took us about 2.5 hours out into the middle of no where on a Safari. To be completely honest, I was tired and ready to get home, but the trip turned out to be one of the greatest experiences of my life.

If you haven’t been on a safari, never go to Africa without experiencing it. We saw every animal imaginable, and I will never forget pulling through the gates of the park for our first ride in. Our guide stopped the vehicle, stepped out onto the dirt road and pulled out a HUGE rifle. He proceeded to load it while telling us that it was only as a precaution in case we had an issue with one of the animals. Okay, now I’m thinking a little bit more about the threats of being in the middle of nowhere on a safari (do you feel the adrenaline rush).

Fast forward 7 months.

Last week I took the kids to the zoo. It was the most beautiful day of this year and we had a blast. We saw the lions, tigers, gorilla, river otter, chimps, black bear – you get the picture. I walked in with a stroller, walked past the cages, and I never once felt like I was in any danger. No one was carrying a gun (I hope). Kids were running around everywhere. And the thought hit me – the church is a zoo.

That’s right, the church is a zoo – and we have made it that way. Few people today go into church expecting to see the power of God (more expect to see the power struggles of men). Fewer and fewer people want the power of God to change their life (we prefer to live for ourselves). Even fewer people see the Church (this is the big see church – all of us) as having any relevance for life today. The church really isn’t tame, but it appears that way today.

The church needs to become a safari again. We need the anticipation back that people will see God move (like you anticipate seeing animals on a safari), and we need to create an environment where He will move. It needs to reveal the power of God so that it gives people the desire to come back. I have said this one-hundred times and will say it again, “I will go into debt to take Hayden and my dad on a safari one day – that’s how amazing it was!” I want people to feel that way about the church, not like they are taking a leisurely stroll through the zoo.