hmmm… where to start this without sounding like a pompous jerk … … oh well, sometimes I’m a pompous jerk so here goes …
A guy recently asked me if there were any good churches around, before I could answer he fired off a litany of requirements this new church must meet; he liked contemporary music, his wife liked old hymns so it must have “blended” worship. It must have a dynamic youth group for his 16-year-old son with weekly activities and it must have a menu of programs geared to his 9-year-old daughter. His wife wanted a small intimate women’s bible study, but he didn’t care about a men’s ministry because he probably wouldn’t participate anyway … well he didn’t say exactly that but I caught the drift. He then went on to complain about his current church, music was bland he didn’t “feel” anything, the sermons were blander, the pastor always seemed rushed but always preached longer than 20 minutes, there wasn’t enough participation in either the youth group or the programs for children and the women’s ministry was a bunch of old women yakking. He finally took a breath and looked at me expectantly …
… I said, “It sounds like you’re already in the perfect church for you and your family.”
He looked at me like I had just poured a grape Icee down the back of his pants. “Haven’t you been listening?? Our current church doesn’t fit any of our needs!”
No it doesn’t.
Instead of looking for a church that meets your needs, find a church that needs you.
I’ll say that again ….
Instead of looking for a church that meets your needs, find a church that needs you.
A church that has everything you need, probably doesn’t need you.
Scripture is filled with references to “the body”; 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4. The church is the “Body of Christ”, the Body of which He is the head. Each part (person) being fitted together to make the whole, each part (person) bringing its function, talent to the whole, each part accomplishing what it was designed to accomplish coming together to become more than simply the sum of its parts.
Now, if the church is the body of Christ (and it is) how should it behave? He came to seek and save that which was lost … wouldn’t His body be about that work?? or would it focus inward on its own needs. If His body allows Him to be its head and follows that head, would it be more concerned about its needs or the needs of the least of these? Would it be focused on the music inside the church or being His hands and His feet outside the church??
Still reading? … let’s see what I can do about that …
Imagine His body … wounded … broken … bleeding … in pain … in need.
Now, imagine walking away ….
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Is His body worth saving, worth fighting for?? Is it worth sacrificing your needs, your wants, your opinion … your pride?? Is it worth whatever you can do, everything you can do?? … or do you just walk away and look for something that fits your needs …
… I’m so glad He didn’t just walk away …
thinkingoutkeyboard 
October 11th, 2017 at 7:18 am
That’s not what I wanted to read this morning.
October 11th, 2017 at 5:54 pm
Sorry Lil’ Bro. When would you have liked to have read it?? I can try a different time next time ……
October 11th, 2017 at 8:55 am
Thank you for this Randy. I miss you and Marilyn!
October 11th, 2017 at 8:56 am
I don’t want to be anonymous I wasn’t sure how this worked. So I’ll say it again. Thank you for this Randy. I needed to hear and hear it often. I miss you and Marilyn.
October 11th, 2017 at 5:56 pm
We’re still around, we just plugged into a place that can use my peculiar brand of eccentricity.
October 11th, 2017 at 4:50 pm
Spot on!
Quite the wordsmith. I would have simply answered “Find a place that you can serve, instead of finding a place that you can be comfortable.”
Ephesians 4:11-16
October 11th, 2017 at 5:57 pm
Why use 17 when you can use 500??
December 11th, 2017 at 10:57 pm
[…] heart … still does, and the bracelet is long gone. So now what?? What of the body … His body … ?? Who really is the head of the body?? … and what would He do?? As Christians we […]