thomiwilson - CHURCH...

CHURCH...what is it really supposed to look like?

Honestly...as I began to consider this topic for my "blog"...I was/am overwhelmed. What a huge and controversial topic?! My purpose in writing on this topic is to provoke thought and discussion.

Over the last 13 or 14 years I have listened to so many people that are dissatisfied with the American Church. The reasons are many…rejection, hypocrisy, watered down teaching, inappropriate expectations, bad role modeling, etc. I am sure you all are familiar with the statistics and stories; the humorous but often accurate jokes of Baptists and their secret beer stash, a higher divorce rate with professed Christians than in the secular world, churches fighting over whether or not homosexuals should be allowed to hold leadership positions, church leaders sexually abusing children, racial hatred being spewed from pulpits (of all races), many churches acting more like country clubs rather than members of the body of Christ, "Christians" blowing up abortion clinics, "Christians" killing others in the name of "Christ"…

Man, is it just me or is this small list getting more and more depressing?

So, it seems to be obvious that some things do need to change.

There are also examples of believers who seem to be getting it right; I have been listening to podcasts from a body of believers who are located in Las Angeles, CA. They call their gathering "Mosaic". The guy who I think "started" the idea was a man named Erwin McManus. He's the author of several books…one of my favorites is The Barbarian Way. There is another group of believers that gather in Grandville, Michigan that call themselves "Mars Hill". Rob Bell is one of their pastors and the author of several books…I am presently reading Velvet Elvis. Bill Hybels is another guy who seems to get it. The list, praise God, is growing each day. None of them look exactly alike…they shouldn't. There are probably several thousand "churches" that "get it." My point is not to promote these people, their "churches" or their books. My point is to say many believers are waking up and seeing a need for change. They refuse to quit, they refuse to give in…they keep seeking the Father, abiding in His Son and seeking the guidance of his Spirit. I have been blessed to be a part of some pretty special groups of people who follow Christ. Some have been in a more traditional setting…Sharon Baptist Church, Helen FBC, Harlingen FBC, but others have been a little further off of the traditional path…several first year missionary teams, some of our ambassador teams, last year's summer staff to name a few.

I am no expert. I do not claim to have all of the answers. I am a flawed human being. I say and do things that I regret. I am also a passionate follower of Christ Jesus who chooses each day to stay in the race! When a relationship is broken do we just quit or throw it away. Unfortunately the answer is often yes. Christ has a better answer. Reconciliation is His answer…love is His answer. Endurance, excellence, patience, forgiveness, perseverance, finding joy in the suffering…are some of the answers Christ has for us. All of which are intimately and earnestly attached to the one true answer…love!