God calls us to love Him with all our minds. Any church that doesn’t emphasize that is falling short on the Great Commandment.

If that doesn’t get your attention (it should), there’s also this: it’s playing into the hands of Christianity’s opponents, who say we follow a mindless religion.

That’s why I asked last week whether it was good for churches to “keep the cookies on the lower shelf.” Simply stated, no, it isn’t. Not for a church’s whole teaching ministry, at any rate.

That’s a rather sweeping statement, I know. And believe me, I know I’m meddling with something very sacred here: the way people do church. I’m suggesting that many churches are getting it wrong. Who am I to say so?

Intellectual Apathy Harms Christian Witness

I don’t know who I need to be to say it, but this is who I am: I’m someone who cares about church, about Christianity, about Christian witness and about our influence in society. I’m someone who’s observed weakness in American Christianity where there could be strength. I’ve observed apathy where we should be caring. I’ve seen young people walk away from the church for lack of authentic answers to genuine questions. I’ve seen secularists mocking us for “believing without any evidence.”

I’m seeing American Christianity heading into all kinds of hostility, unprepared to stand and defend. That’s why I must speak out: Intellectual apathy harms Christian witness.

The Pastor’s Plight

What then is the answer? There isn’t one. There are many. What fits one church won’t fit another. But if I’ve been meddling before, I’m afraid I’m about to kick it up a notch.

First, remember what I wrote last time: a pastor’s communication job is nearly impossible. It reaches such a staggering diversity of people with a single Sunday morning message.

The rest of a pastor’s job is just as hard, from a human perspective. Part of his unwritten job description is that he’s supposed to keep everyone happy. (You didn’t know that? Ask your pastor. He knows.) He has to do so in conditions where everyone knows how to do his job better than he does (or thinks so, anyway)! Not to mention all the meetings, the counseling, the conflict resolution, the sermon preparation, the potholes in the parking lot, the quirky sound system…

Yet It Has To Be In the Plan

Still, though, it remains a pastor’s mission and calling to “present every person complete in Christ.” Therefore every minister must ask whether his church provides adequate place for discipleship of the mind in its plan and program. If yes, then great. If not (here comes the serious meddling now), this might be time for a pastor take a humble, yet searching, look at his own priorities. Over time, every organization begins to mirror its senior leader’s style and character. It’s true of churches, too. A church that’s not discipling its members minds is led by a pastor who isn’t making it a priority.

But that doesn’t mean it’s up to the pastor to do it all! God gave us different gifts for different ministries (Eph. 4: ) Maybe someone just loves church history, and knows how to teach it so it comes alive. Great! Unleash her to teach it! Or maybe there’s someone who’s well equipped to conduct training in reasons for confidence in the faith. All a pastor needs to do is give it a genuine nod of support, and he’s off and running.

Jesus’ Unexpected Example

Sometimes I wonder whether there would be any faster way for a pastor to get fired than by following Jesus’ example as a teacher.

So far, though, I’ve skirted the question of Sunday morning’s cookie shelves. Again, one answer won’t fit every church. I’m concerned, though, about what it communicates about Christianity if our main presentation of the faith is always a simple presentation.

Jesus didn’t teach that way. Have you noticed how many people walked away from Him puzzled? Read the latter half of John chapter 6. People actually quit following him because of his difficult teaching. He didn’t go chasing after them to explain further, either. He let them go.

Sometimes I wonder whether there would be any faster way for a pastor to get fired than by following Jesus’ example as a teacher.

So What’s the Answer?

So what do we do about “cookies on the lower shelf” in Sunday morning sermons? I titled this as a “how-to” article. Unlike some how-to’s, this one doesn’t offer 3 easy steps. I do have nine ideas here; maybe some of them will be helpful. But I can’t say which, if any, will fit your situation the best.

Whatever it takes, Pastor, I’m praying you’ll wrestle with this question. I’m praying you’ll find a place for it in your church’s ministry. I’m praying you’ll talk it up on Sunday morning, and that you’ll even find ways to raise the shelves where you put the proverbial cookies.

And I must include a final word for lay persons: Feel free to go to your pastor with this — but only after you’ve prayed humbly and given all the necessary thought to everything else your minister has to do. If you believe your pastor needs to hear this, he very well might. But he needs to hear it from someone who’s on his side, who knows he’s already doing the hardest job in the world.