Summer Blockbuster

Good Day To You,

In the year 2004, Blockbuster Video was “the” movie rental and gaming store. At the time it employed 84,300 people worldwide and had 9,094 stores. In 2000, Netflix approached Blockbuster and offered to purchase the company for $50 million. The Blockbuster CEO, was not interested in the offer, stating that Netflix was “ a very small niche business" and it was losing money at the time. Blockbuster filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Netflix is now worth $276 billion. Blockbuster didn’t understand the changes and times in which they operated. 

The American church today has flatlined and after Covid attendance numbers have dropped significantly in most churches. What can be done about it? 

God is at work, and he is moving even to this day. We the church need to look for signs of his working and join him. The Father’s brush strokes of his handiwork are taking place. We just need to adjust our vision or view point to see and then agree with this timely truth: 

“My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” John 5:17

God is working and moving, so let’s ask Holy Spirit where his activity is taking place in the lives of our children, grandchildren, neighbors, coworkers. The above promise is true for then and now. Let’s trust it.

It may not only look differently, the signs of his working, but we need to alter our preconceived ideas on how we think it should look. The bulky VHS tapes from Blockbuster (“Be Kind Rewind”) and the thin DVDs from Netflix that were mailed to you, sure functioned differently. 

We have a great opportunity in front of us to seek the Kingdom of Christ and look for his signs of life and then join with him. It’s just not going to feel or look like what happened in you or me when we came to faith.

Q: What other companies didn’t change and no longer exist?  

Q: What might be some of our preconceived concepts that will need to change?