AllHoursChurch

What is Critical?

We can agree to respect differences but we still easily forget what we were sent to do and who we were sent to. Jesus said it was not to those who were well that He came, but to those who were sick. The church is doing a good job of preaching to itself - so well that our differences are highlighted, rather than what is critical - that the love of Jesus is known.

The weekly routine goes like this. A sermon is preached and a time of worship is had. Another night or two in the week there may be Bible Studies or more preaching and worship, usually Wednesday night. Over time, the community receives a clear set of doctrines and perspectives reflecting that of the leadership.

Very seldom do the unevangelized enter the doors. The hope of each pastor is that the congregants will invite their friends. To make this easier, some concern themselves with putting on a performance worthy of inviting guests to. How good is the music? How good was the preaching?

Another way to gain new members is to catch newcomers to town, paying for advertisements. Those who come to town will usually look for a denomination they are used to. For many Christians stepping out into a new denomination or form of worship is almost unthinkable. That church should grow as a community of disciples known by their love is believed in theory and often a subject of preaching but to what extent is it actually happening? We know we are to impact Tallahassee with the love and message of Jesus Christ but there are only two times a week to invite anyone to church.

Something new has to happen - something that actually reaches people. It's critical that we stop ignoring the world. We put signs up in our church parking lot exits that say "You are entering the mission field" and we hope and pray that we, as individuals, will be like salt on the earth, easy to recognize light, but as a community we are separated. There is nothing we do other than prove how divided we are by our church walls, by our comfortable doctrines and practices. The world passes by one closed church after another all week long and then we wonder why they don't come in and visit us on Sunday or Wednesday when the collection plate is passed around. If they have encountered any loving kindness from a Christian, if they have experienced mercy and forgiveness or humility or peacemaking, they don't know whether this is Christian. They may see it as being a good person; if they are not yet saved, they may see it through humanist eyes.

Experiencing the love of Jesus needs to be both real and explicit. When the churches are all closed one thing is certain. The love of God is not shining from them. This is what the world is seeing. If we are called to reach them then we must turn the light on and let it shine through the night. The love that the disciples have for one another is not shown by being a clique. It is shown by service to others. This requires more than what we are doing at this time. It requires putting away our competitive spirit regarding which church people attend and letting the world know that there is just one church - one church loving one another and living in service not just to itself, but to the world for which Christ suffered and died.