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Once again, it’s Five Minute Friday time. For me, the week has flown! By the time you read this, I’ll be in Dallas at a one day blogging conference: Mama’s Write. I know you aren’t shocked to hear that!
The rules for Five Minute Friday?
- Write for five minutes…if you get carried away, let us know when your five minutes is up.
- Link to Gypsy Mama‘s Five Minute Friday page.
- And most important, stop by the person ahead of you and drop them an encouraging note. Enjoy!
GO
My topic today is the Church.It is a topic I love.
It is a place I love.
Is it perfect?
No.
The old joke was, it might have been perfect,
But once we joined, it wasn’t anymore.
The truth is, it isn’t a perfect place
Because it is made up of human beings who fail…often.
What saddens me is to hear people talking about it
As if there is something optional about it for believers…
For Christ followers.
However, the Bible says that the Church is the Bride of Christ.
How do we speak about Christ’s Bride that way?
How do we honor the One that He loves more than life itself?
Do our own preferences need to be adjusted, in regard to Christ’s church?
The way many of us speak about the Church,
It sounds like we consider ourselves to be able critics.
Are we sitting on the sidelines doing what can come so easily there?
Critiqueing, criticizing those that we think are not as wise as we are… STOP
What do we do when we join a church?
What do we mean when we agree to submit to the authority of the church leadership?
What does it mean to join the Church Universal as we join hands with the apostles
Who went before us?
The martyrs of the early Church?
The heroes of the Faith?
And all the men and women of past centuries who have loved, honored and served Christ?
They have walked by faith, lived by grace and walked humbly before GOD…
United in Community as the Body of Christ
in their communities…large and small.
They have also failed miserably and needed GOD’s grace and forgiveness
Along with that of their local Body of believers…
Who have worshipped, suffered and rejoiced with them.
Their churches were just as imperfect as ours.
Yet they joined together trusting GOD, as He led through their leaders.
They made mistakes too. GOD prevailed over them then as He does now.
They persevered.
Serving Christ in mission to their local communities and to the world.
Living out the Gospel wherever GOD placed them.
Joined together in Christ for His glory.
Powerful and convicting. We are all so quick to shop around and find what we are looking for (outside of sound doctrine) in a church. I love what you said about us feeling as if we are able critics. Beautifully written. (Looking forward to getting to know you some before Allume.)
thanks for your comment amy:) hope to meet you at allume…won’t be long now!
I so appreciate your “join” topic. My heart was recently burdened by a retired pastor who was going on what he’d heard about a new church in the area that is quickly growing, but with much criticism because it looks different from the norm. And yet “normal” isn’t working. I was able to share with him some information I’d learned first hand and he did hear me. Hopefully he will realize that we are all the Body – imperfect, but becoming more beautiful as the Father “joins” us together into a beautiful Bride for the Son. Thank you for your post!
thanks for stopping by robin.glad you found the post helpful:)