The Church

 The church has hurt me, and in my journey of healing from the hurt, I have continued to go to church, and even started loving it again.  The church has been blemished and has a dark spot in recent history.  Many people are leaving the church with anger and bitterness because of the lack of compassion and love.  They may be right with their information, but for the past two weeks I was reminded that the church, with all its flaws is one big family and if we all come together as a family compassion, grace, and love will become a valuable part of the church again. 

The church would be perfect if there were no people.  Think about it.  People make it messy.  The pastor gets up every week and speaks.  Every week someone emails him and lets him know that there were flaws in his message.  The pastor is just frustrated that three people left early with their baseball jerseys on, the baby in the back kept squealing, and he’s pretty sure someone snored during the most important part of his message.  If there were no people, then his message would be brilliant; however, the church is not a building.  The church is the people.  It’s one big messed up family. 

This last week was like going back to a family reunion.  No family is perfect.  Every family is flawed and many families try to hide the flaws.  The church is discovering that we need to stop hiding our flaws and begin fixing them.  The people who can help the most with making the changes the church needs are those of us who have been hurt.  We can be bitter and post negative news about the church, or we can get our hands dirty and go to church and begin the healing.  It will take time.  It will take work.  It can be done. 

For the past two weeks I was travelling and visiting with friends from National Bible Bowl (Bible quiz teams) and friends from Christian college.  We reminisced, ate food, laughed, and enjoyed each other.  Time had not passed since our college days.  The church met this last week in a large room with encouragement from speakers and worship, but the church also met around dinner and lunch tables with laughter and joy.  The church doesn’t just meet on Sunday gatherings, but when two or three are gathered together with Jesus bring us all together in the center of it all. 

The church within those walls had grace and love.  As I sat with strong healthy leaders in a small group, there was no condemnation, but encouragement that discouraged leaders so desperately needed.  The church movement that prided itself on fellowship and numbers has grown to understand that many of our church leaders become discouraged and walk away from ministry and some from God.  It is now growing to train and encourage those discouraged leaders, not just for the churches, but also for the individual leaders to love God and the family of God. 

No family is perfect.  No church is perfect.  No person is perfect.  Our world will become a better place when we all recognize that.  The church has wounded many and it’s time that it begins to heal.  The church needs and can do better.  We don’t have to believe the same as everyone else, but we can respect and love one another.

The church has flaws because it has people.  The people are flawed, but the people are also beautiful.  Time has passed, but our friendships have strengthened. The church doesn’t have four walls.  Those four walls are broken down when people all over the world come together in small parts and unite.  Flawed people with quirks, sins, and hope that the world can be a better place come together and give love.  If you want the church to change and become better, then go into one and be the change you want to see.  It will take time and work, but it can be done. I want to be a part of a revolution and not look back and wonder what it would have been like if I had been a part of it.   The church is messy because of people, but the church can heal and change because of the love and grace of Jesus.