OUTCRY: God’s Heart For Your Churchनमुना

Careful

It is easy to be a critic. Telling others where they aren't measuring up is easy. Especially when critiquing a group. We can easily say we dislike Democrats. Or Republicans. We don’t need to look at individuals, we just paint them all with a broad brush. 

This is especially true on social media.

One of the biggest recipients of this group-critique is “the church.” We can write a blog from the safety of our home talking about what we think is “wrong with the Church” and feel safe because we are lumping them together. We imagine them all as the curmudgeon we argued with about worship volume on Sunday. Or the young, spoiled millennial trying to water down theology.

But the reality of the Church is much more complicated. Much more beautiful and chaotic.

My wife is amazing. She doesn't often preach sermons, or dump unsolicited Biblical knowledge on people. But under the surface she has a lot going on. She wakes up at 5:30 every morning to pursue the heart of God. She is patient and supportive, even when I go on tour for weeks at a time. I know this, because I know her.

If you said you loved me, but hated her, we’d have a problem. We may be able to have a surface relationship, but we’d have some deep issues revolving around the most important person in my life.

The Church is referred to as “the bride” of Christ. You can’t love Jesus and hate his bride.

Be careful of how you talk about Jesus’ bride. Painting her in broad brush strokes is impossible and is inevitably flawed.