Ash Trays at the Church Door

Ready for some controversial talk? :-) My favorite kind! Especially because I believe it will take much talk like this to provoke the world wide Church to make the changes necessary to become relevant once again. Ok Ok... You know where to E-mail me since I don’t make room for public comments on my blog...

On my way into the Willow Creek Community Church today, I went to throw away a paper cup and noticed the numerous ash trays near the trash containers. Not only could a smoker extinguish their cigarette, but there were choices with a nice looking presentation. These ash trays might as well have been a sign, “Smokers Welcome.” Awesome! What kind of a Church would we have if smokers weren’t welcome??? (I’ll let you answer that...)

In the tradition of my upbringing, this would have been unthinkable and writing this article probably equally unthinkable. After all, “some things just shouldn’t be mentioned.”

A friend of mine leads an ethnic congregation of which the majority of the attendees smoke like chimneys. I have preached for him on many occasions and I have noticed among others, even the ushers and elders going out for a quick smoke in the middle of the service and then slipping back in. After the service, the nicotine smell would get all over my hands from the hand shaking and I would use a liquid gel before touching my steering wheel in the car. In this particular ethnic group, the average age when a young man would begin smoking with the full consent of the parents is around 12 years old. (This is not a large ethnic group in America) It’s a big problem for them and many die prematurely either directly or indirectly because of smoking.

They were renting a facility from another Church and suddenly were told to leave. There was no changing the verdict from the Pastor of the Church because he had been humiliated. His attendees had discovered cigarette butts in the bushes and on the side-walk. Oh no!!! How could this be?!? Then it happened again at the next Church they rented. Wow! Smokers are definitely not welcome... especially littering ones.

Personally, I am anti-smoking but I am not anti-smoker. Even if I was not a Christian, I would be an anti-smoking advocate because smoking is a scientifically proven method to kill yourself slowly and sometimes not so slowly.

There are many things I don’t like about my childhood religious tradition, especially things which repel people from the Church which is precious to God. Would you appreciate a couple of other examples? Gladly!

I don’t like it when Churches carry arrogant names. “Full Gospel Church” is an example. Are the others half gospel? 80% gospel? While I agree that we want to be involved in Churches that operate with the fullness of what is available as presented in the gospels, do we need to loudly “toot our own horns?” Let me ask this... Have you ever actually found a Church that is operating at the 100% Full Gospel level? Another one is “First ________ Church.” Now I know that this is not in reference to being the best or the number one, but what significance is it that yours was the first Baptist or the first Assembly of God Church in your city? Is that the identity that best captures your Church vision or flow? Does that name draw people in?

So back to the main point, Ash Trays. What message are we to present? Without ash trays we are saying “smokers not welcome.” With the ash trays we are saying “smokers welcome.” The ash trays also say “it’s ok to smoke even just outside the door.” Some might argue that the ash trays imply that God won’t supernaturally deliver someone from their addiction to nicotine.

Have you been to one of those prayer meetings when a person gives a powerful testimony at just the wrong time? Let’s role play...

Bob: “Please pray for me. I have been trying to quit smoking for 10 years and I’ve been saved for 12 years. I’m giving it one more go starting this week and I’m using a new product to help me in this process.”
Chuck: “I used to be a smoker, but the day I received the Lord, I never had the desire for nicotine ever again. God delivered me instantly. I don’t think you need anything but prayer with more faith.”

While I know many who have received instant deliverance, I know many more who needed to struggle with the process of getting free and it was God’s sovereign will for it to happen in that way. Maybe Chuck would have been more sensitive if he had struggled a bit as well?

My decision? I want ash trays at the door of my Church. I want to welcome smokers and let God be God. As for those of you who have happened upon my article and you are screaming right now because you are convinced that smoking is a sin.... I would encourage you to put that chicken wing down right now because you are doing more then getting chicken grease and hot sauce on your grandson’s computer. You are damaging your body which is a ..... hmmm.... gluttony is a sin the last I heard.

The apostle John spoke of sin and sin that leads to death (1 John 5). We are to avoid all sins and break free. My prayer is that as we help others to break free from addictions such as smoking, that we in the Church also break free from sending unloving messages, judgment and gossip. I further pray that we would never send a message to pre-believers that they are unwelcome or not special or good enough to receive a quick miracle. I am personally much more concerned about the kinds of sin which lead to spiritual death. Sins which cause hearts to harden towards other people.

Let’s put some ash trays at our Church doors shall we? Thanks for the good example Willow Creek!