Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Love

Recently I heard of a man who went to a local church for the first time in many years. He had been a faithful church attender until a series of heartaches left him questioning God and so he just walked away. Now, years later, he was searching. Searching for some answers. Perhaps searching for some peace. So this man went to the large and popular church in his city. His description is interesting and speaks volumes about how the "church" just may be missing the mark.
He described the church as very loud with a preacher who dressed like a skateboarder. He said the light show was blinding. And when finally able to see, what he saw were people engrossed in the electronic device of choice. He felt all his senses were assaulted at the same time and when the pastor finally began to preach, he was ready to run. He said, "I will not return."
Just a short time later, a friend described a visit to a local church where I live in a similar way. He added that the building and sanctuary were more like a sports arena then a church. He described his experience was more in keeping with a rock concert than a worship experience. And while he felt the message was spot on, He added, "The modern church continues to spend more and more money trying to enhance the worship experience for themselves instead of taking the Word where it needs to be." My friend wanted to know how to sort out his feelings for fear of either being too judgmental or falling victim to the light show.
I have heard it over and over. And I feel it too.
I read a blog not too long ago that really struck me and I cannot get it off my mind. I can't stop wondering how it should change me. It is the story of how four minister's wives started going to a strip club before they opened to bring dinner once a week to the ladies. Eventually they got permission from the ladies to put a prayer box in the dressing room. These four women got out of the pew and brought church to a group of ladies who needed to be loved in a Christlike manner.
So I began praying about how to answer my friend's dilemma. I realize that as long as I sit in my own little world, as long as I stay safe in my own little church and life group, as long as I keep from looking around me and seeing, actually seeing the lost, the lonely and the hurting, then I am just like the priest or the Levite who walked passed the man in the story of the Good Samaritan.
Churches spend a lot of money to build bigger facilities and better light shows with the loudest music. And I often wonder what does Jesus think about that? But we are, you and I are the church. What are we doing? How are we going into the world? Now don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that we all are called to minister to strippers. But we are called to look into the eyes of your checkout clerk. We are called to be kind and considerate to the really slow teller. We are called to drive with courtesy. And we are called to use our God given gifts to build up one another, encourage one another and serve one another. At the end of the day, the only question to ask is, "Did I look like, act like and love like Jesus today?'
So, there you have it. I don't know the answer for the churches who are building this and that and everything else. But I do know what my responsibility is. Each day, all I have to offer Jesus is the 24 hours of my time and my heart. I want to make sure I give it to him every day.
I know this probably doesn't really validate your feelings if you too wonder about the direction of your church music and light show. Your feelings are not right nor are they wrong. They just are. What I want to do, what I am learning to do, is to put my feelings aside. I want to carefully choose my focus. I want to see more so I can love more. And I challenge you to do the same. Turn your focus from these things that irritate you to the person in front of you. And as you focus on them, ask Jesus to give you the gift to love them like he does. After all, the commandment is to love God, love people.

1 comment:

  1. Love this it really resonates with my life especially these last 5-6 years.....and I am trying to practice this very thing myself. I used to often say in the church I belonged to for 11 years when they listed outreach that the church did....it was ALL checks being donated to places...which I am also not saying is a bad thing.....but I said for me writing a check was easy......no matter the amount compared to spending time with those we were sending money to to help. I seem to find myself returning often to St. Francis of Assisi "Seek first to understand...then to be understood"....Meeting people where they are is for me the first step. Thanks Gayle :)

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