In Every Church
In every church, some people are there because they love God and want to worship and serve Him. There are people who are hurting, hoping that someone will help ease their pain. Some are there because that's where their friends are, or simply because they were raised to go to church every Sunday. Some people attend worship services just to hear the music. Some people are there because they like to critique the pastor's sermon, while others hang onto every word, hoping for real solutions to their problems. Whatever our reasons for being in church, Jesus is there, too, ready to meet each of us just as we are.
Some people dress up for church, wearing their "Sunday best." Others wear work clothes because they attend church during a lunch break, or after working the night shift. Some people wear the same thing every day, wherever they go, because that's all they have. We see jeans and shorts, boots and flip flops, thrift shop bargains and the latest fashion. Tattoos, body piercings, multicolored hair, flashy jewelry, hats, short skirts or long, t-shirts, open collars or ties--a myriad of people may arrive at church with any or all of these fashion statements. Does it really matter what people wear to church?
Do we look down our noses at the people in our midst who appear to be losers, or do we love the lost? Do we welcome those who are different from us? Do we stop to talk to the people that we don't know well, or do we head straight for our best friends? Do we avoid the gaze of someone who is obviously handicapped, or perhaps even talk down to him or her? Or, do we welcome those with special needs, just as we do anyone else?
Do we put down or avoid Christians from other denominations because some of their doctrines and practices differ from ours, or do we embrace them as fellow believers who know they are justified only by God's grace, through Jesus' death and resurrection?
When we recognize a fellow worshiper as a sinner in our midst, do we ostracize him, or do we welcome him with open arms? Do we "hate the sin, but love the sinner," or do we "throw the sinner out"? Are we more accepting of those whose sins are similar to our own, while condemning those who have sinned in ways that we feel are unconscionable? Are we willing to forgive the seemingly unforgivable? Do we seek forgiveness for our own self-righteous attitudes?
Enough already! Jesus has the simplest, best answer to these questions: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength....Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31)
Who is our neighbor? Let's just look around, and reach out to the people we see. That's what Jesus would do. That's what he did.
Some people dress up for church, wearing their "Sunday best." Others wear work clothes because they attend church during a lunch break, or after working the night shift. Some people wear the same thing every day, wherever they go, because that's all they have. We see jeans and shorts, boots and flip flops, thrift shop bargains and the latest fashion. Tattoos, body piercings, multicolored hair, flashy jewelry, hats, short skirts or long, t-shirts, open collars or ties--a myriad of people may arrive at church with any or all of these fashion statements. Does it really matter what people wear to church?
Do we look down our noses at the people in our midst who appear to be losers, or do we love the lost? Do we welcome those who are different from us? Do we stop to talk to the people that we don't know well, or do we head straight for our best friends? Do we avoid the gaze of someone who is obviously handicapped, or perhaps even talk down to him or her? Or, do we welcome those with special needs, just as we do anyone else?
Do we put down or avoid Christians from other denominations because some of their doctrines and practices differ from ours, or do we embrace them as fellow believers who know they are justified only by God's grace, through Jesus' death and resurrection?
When we recognize a fellow worshiper as a sinner in our midst, do we ostracize him, or do we welcome him with open arms? Do we "hate the sin, but love the sinner," or do we "throw the sinner out"? Are we more accepting of those whose sins are similar to our own, while condemning those who have sinned in ways that we feel are unconscionable? Are we willing to forgive the seemingly unforgivable? Do we seek forgiveness for our own self-righteous attitudes?
Enough already! Jesus has the simplest, best answer to these questions: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength....Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these. (Mark 12:30-31)
Who is our neighbor? Let's just look around, and reach out to the people we see. That's what Jesus would do. That's what he did.
Great thoughts for every day, especially. Sunday! Thanks for sharing!
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