The Problem with Church is …
A few years ago, I recorded and aired a series of 10 short radio messages called The Problem with Church is …
And it’s fair to say that still today, this ranks as one of the top 5 series that we have ever put to air here at Christianityworks.
The phones went into meltdown with comments and responses not unlike the majority of those that were made in response to my last post Why I Walk Past 11 Cafes to Get to My Favourite One.
Over and over again, God tells us in His Word that the most important thing of all, is love. Indeed that the hallmark of our faith, the one thing that more than any other demonstrates to the world that we truly are His disciples, is the love we show for one another.
And over and over again … we seem to fail dismally at that.
I realised a few years ago that, well … I was part of the problem. I would go to our church meeting with a consumer mentality, blinded as it were to the needs of those around me. Content to catch up after the service with my friends. Content – I am so sad to say – to allow those on the margins to sit alone.
It’s something that the Holy Spirit really convicted me of. And so I did something that was quite uncharacteristic for me (since I’m not what you’d call “pastorally gifted”) … I started to pray before each service: Lord open my eyes. Show me the person who needs your love to flow through me into their lives today.
It was the beginning of a most inconvenient journey. It was the beginning of a sacrificial journey. It’s a journey that I still execute oh so imperfectly.
And whilst I don’t regret being “choosy” about which church I invest my gifts and resources through (I’m convinced that in some churches, given their culture, you just can’t make a difference – so investing there is just bad stewardship decision, plain and simple) I am convinced more than ever that love, that community, that fellowship, that genuine concern for the needs of God’s people … all begin as a work of the Spirit, with me.
However imperfectly I execute Christ’s call to love my brothers and sisters … I truly believe that it begins, with me.
You can listen to that series of messages, or download the transcripts, by clicking on these buttons.
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