Church is hard.
Church is hard for the person walking through the doors, afraid of judgement.
Church is hard for the pastor’s family, under the microscope of an entire body.
Church is hard for the prodigal soul returning home, broken and battered by the world.
Church is hard for the girl who looks like she has it all together, but doesn’t.
Church is hard for the couple who fought the entire ride to service.
Church is hard for the single mom, surrounded by couples holding hands, and seemingly perfect families.
Church is hard for the widow and widower with no invitation to lunch after service.
Church is hard for the deacon with an estranged child.
Church is hard for the person singing worship songs, overwhelmed by the weight of the lyrics.
Church is hard for the man insecure in his role as a leader.
Church is hard for the wife who longs to be led by a righteous man.
Church is hard for the nursery volunteer who desperately longs for a baby to love.
Church is hard for the single woman and single man, praying God brings them a mate.
Church is hard for the teenage girl, wearing a scarlet letter, ashamed of her mistakes.
Church is hard for the sinners.
Church is hard for me.
It’s hard because on the outside it all looks shiny and perfect. Sunday best in behavior and dress.
However, underneath those layers, you find a body of imperfect people, carnal souls, selfish motives.
But, here is the beauty of church—
Church isn’t a building, mentality, or expectation.
Church is a body.
Church is a group of sinners, saved by grace, living in fellowship as saints.
Church is a body of believers bound as brothers and sisters by an eternal love.
Church is a holy ground where sinners stand as equals before the Throne of Grace.
Church is a refuge for broken hearts and a training ground for mighty warriors.
Church is a converging of confrontation and invitation. Where sin is confronted and hearts are invited to seek restoration.
Church is a lesson in faith and trust.
Church is a bearer of burdens and a giver of hope.
Church is a family. A family coming together, setting aside differences, forgetting past mistakes, rejoicing in the smallest of victories.
Church, the body, and the circle of sinners-turned-saints by God's ultimate sacrifice, is where He resides. If we ask, He is faithful to come.
Church is not a reunion of spiritual fat cats; it's a hospital for broken people.
So even on the hard days at church—
The days when I am at odds with a friend, when I’ve fought with my spouse because we’re late once again. When I’ve walked in bearing burdens heavier than my heart can handle, yet masking the pain with a smile on my face. When I’ve been under the microscope. When I’ve longed for a baby to hold, or fought tears as lyrics were sung. When I’ve walked back in, afraid and broken, after walking away.
I remember that He has never failed to meet me there.
Psalm 22:27-28: “All the ends of the world shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the Lord's, and he ruleth among the nations.”
7 comments:
Beautiful. We have a deacon, a beautiful man, a true spiritualist leader, whom everybody looks up to. I often think how hard it must be for him, when people tease him a bit about being holy, because sometimes he shares his struggles, and he has difficult ones that leave him very low. But he goes out and leads anyway.
Dude! Did you write this?
That's beautiful, Rev.
I always thought that your "church" was inside you in that wherever you were, you could worship Him. You didn't need a fancy building with the congregation all washed up and scrubbed.
There's many times I've felt far closer to Him when I was alone or in the forest or on the open sea than when I was "in church".
His Church is everywhere.
Drjim, The word Church in the original language as Reverend Paul knows is the Greek word ekklesia which means assembly.
Therefore the church is the body of Christ assembled together. While one might feel that he is alone with God when indeed he is alone with God, one is fulfilling his call from God when he is with other parts of the body.
Simply breathtaking Reverend. Thank you.
Wonderful post, Reverend. God bless.
PH, your deacon's occasional struggles are real; it's hard to always be the one to whom everyone looks for support, guidance, and wisdom. We have to pray, pray, pray, and then pray some more!
Ed, I wrote a good part of it. Friends have made suggestions which became additions, over time. I understand it's fairly widespread now on sites like Facebook.
drjim, Ed's right about the "church" being the body of believers who band together in fellowship before the throne of God, to worship Him and be strengthened by Him.
Thank you, TB.
Thanks, Linda.
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