The Beauty of the Church

 I was born and raised in the church. As an adult it’s my chosen lifestyle. I’ve been across the USA and lived overseas. I have attended church services with congregations of all sizes from 10 members to a thousand. Everywhere I have gone each church family had their own culture. Some have been very welcoming while in others I felt like an island to myself. The most loving places were the ones that embraced who they were in the environment that they were placed in.  They genuinely had a love for the the community. None of them were perfect. All of them had someone who was corrupt. All of them had people who had bad intentions. All of them had to deal with church hurt. On the flip side more often than not, the common denominator was that we are a family and form the body of Christ. In our imperfections we love Jesus and are in need of  a Savior. Christ shed His blood for us all. The church has loved me more than it has hurt me. And  let me tell you- it has hurt me. I in likewise in my own humanness have hurt others. We are not perfect and in constant need of God’s grace and mercy. Dear church, no matter your size, love one another. Continue to share the love of Christ to those who don’t know Him. Never stop growing. Just as you grow, dig your roots in deep into Jesus Christ. Don’t lose your sense of community. A church of thousand bodies who are unconnected become an audience and no longer the body of Christ. I’m not a pastor, I’m just someone who loves Jesus, loves others and wants to make it to Heaven. Dear saints, love your church family, open your arms to the lost and pray for your pastor. Pray his vision stays fresh and be willing to adapt to growing pains. I love the church. I love this lifestyle and I am thankful for it. God is good.