What is church to you? A building? A denomination? Hypocrites? Posers? People who love and care? People who are weak? People who think they are perfect? People who enforce, follow and/or break rules? People who are fake? People who are kind? I am learning now more than ever that the church is all these things and more. Church is a complicated mix of good and bad, light and dark, love and hate. I know this about the church not because I’ve worked at a church, am a member at a church or because I’m in seminary. I know the good, bad and ugly about church because,
I am the church.
A normal day in my life begins with prayer on the tread mill. I ask God to help me be a better wife then I go upstairs and criticize my husband about something petty. I ask God to help me be a more patient and wise mom and by the end of the day I generally have a mothering regret and/or an apology to make. I’ll text my BFF a happy, kissy, heart-filled emoji and then I’ll give the lady driving slowly in the fast lane a look of condescending disgust when I fly past her on the freeway. I sometimes gossip, sometimes hate (though I call it something else that sounds more Christian) and more than sometimes, I lose my temper. And those are just the things I’m willing to share that make up the imperfect, sinful and dark side of me.
I am the church.
I also love Jesus. I pray for my favorite barista at Starbucks because she’s awesome. I mentor an inner city teenager. I prayed with my family at dinner for someone who is bullying one of my kids. I told my kids I wanted to claw the child’s hair out, but that being a Christ follower means obeying God’s Word when it’s hard. I volunteer at my kids’ school, at church and I repeatedly find myself providing housing for random Chinese students.
I am the church.
What I’m learning about church is that church is people. It is me and people like me; imperfect, trying-hard, Jesus-loving people who need a lot of grace, love and prayer. What I’m learning about church is if I want it to look better, different, less hypocritical and more like Jesus there is only one thing to do.
Let God do his work in me.
Do I find that easy, desirable or fair? No, but that’s why it’s called it dying to self (if it was fun, simple and easy it would have been called it a dance party). In this season of Lent
I am the church
Thank you, Randy (and Terri :)). It has been a hard thing to be reminded – worrying about me is so much harder than trying to remove someone else's speck of dust! 🙂 Thank you for your encouragement. Blessings, brother.
Laura-
This is a wonderfully insightful post! As I read it, it occurred to me that almost all of your observations apply to me as well. Thanks for allowing Jesus to speak to me through you.
Randy (and Terri too)
Laura-
This is a wonderfully insightful post! As I read it, it occurred to me that almost all of your observations apply to me as well. Thanks for allowing Jesus to speak to me through you.
Randy (and Terri too)
Love this!
Thank you Laura…well said.
Thank you Laura…well said.