Now Isn’t That Interesting?
June 30, 2010 by kristinemac
Filed under Life Stuff
Monday: I posted a fairly angsty and critical blog about the state of the church to which I received several comments commiserating with the problems that seem to be currently inherent in America's Christian church.
Tuesday: I asked for my readers to look past the problems and cite one…just one…good thing that the church is doing. No comment (well, except for one from a new friend).
Interesting.
Have we all gotten so jaded and used to complaining, grumbling, and mumbling about the church that we cannot be bothered to see all is not lost?Can we find nothing good to say about the church? Consider this. If we, who are the church, cannot think of one good, positive thing to say to build up the community of faith then how on earth do we expect to be salt and light?
Seriously.
So as we think about the church perhaps we should keep some things in mind:
- It's easier to tear down than to build up. Yes, there are issues in America's church but nothing is impossible through Christ.
- Now that we've identified the problem we need to focus less on complaining about it (and I'm including myself in this) and do more to fix it. This starts with each one of us. If we continue to bad mouth the church why should we expect anyone to want to be a part of it?
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:3-5 (NIV)
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Ephesians 1:18-23 (NIV)
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:14-16 (NIV)
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There's much good to be said about the church. Even if we lose faith in it, we can remember that God hasn't lost faith in the church. In fact, He asked us to build the church on the Rock. He called on the church to spread the Good News — the best story ever told. And we're doing that. We don't always get it right — in fact we often do it way wrong — but the church is by and large an effective, Spirit-led means of spreading the Gospel.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post.
My recent post Courageous Questions and Common-Sense Answers
I like your point that God hasn't lost faith in the church. Indeed, the church is how God has chosen to work in this world, and we simply need to get more in line with His word. Thanks for your comment
I love this piece Kristen. This is so true, I was actually just reading a piece about something similar earlier today about how some American churches use people's dislike for the American church to market their church. this website was used as an example http://www.dontlikechurch.com/. Yes we should be putting so much more effort into building the churches up since essential the church is us, the place we go is go is just a building.
Thanks Sheri. We do need to put more effort into building up the church and the essentials of what makes us the church. Thanks for the link
gesh how did I manage to spell so much stuff wrong lol, including your name, I apologize.
LOL…don't be so hard on yourself lady!
Kristine, I just finished reading the three posts on the church. One good thing about the church my husband and I currently attend is that they completely welcome you into their church body. The people are kind and gracious. It is a community of people serving one another and their community for the Lord Jesus Christ. It's contagious.
I may repost this on my Prescott, AZ Praise and Coffee site. We had that problem in the last meeting–too much church bashing. Had I not had my friend to help redirect the conversation, I would have drowned in it. It's amazing how negativity pulses brighter than positive energy and how quickly it spreads. When one person begins, another takes over until it's out of control.
Yes, it is interesting how quickly negative speech "catches hold" in a group and it can be very difficult to re-direct to more positive talk. Perhaps this is why scripture advises us to think on what is good, pure, noble, right, and just?