Thursday, May 20, 2010

Church As It Should Be (etc. etc.)

Sometime I am full on inspired to blog and sometimes I'm not. I have been going through one of those times when inspiration is lacking. I'm not blaming my lack of inspiration on a certain coffee shop where I used to spend hours in solitude with my computer, but when they moved that hideously awkward oversized and completely impractical table into the corner and made almost 1/4 of their available space unusable I decided to boycott them. I'm not bitter by the way because it led me to my new place of solitude where I once again feel inspired to blog!
As I look across the landscape of modern church culture I have to wonder how many Christians are boycotting their local church in a sense because of a small change that was made. This small change could be a new meeting space, music style, leadership or even teaching series. I think our sinful nature gives us a natural tendency to shop around for a place that meets our needs but when I look at the early church I see a group of people that were more committed to others than they were to themselves.
When we have a selfless attitude we are more willing to look beyond our own comfort, musical preference, teaching style, calendar and differences of opinion. When I think of the Christian church as it should be I can't help but wonder what a culture of selflessness would be like. How awesome would it be to have to tell someone that they will need to be put on a waiting list and when the first available opening on the tear down crew comes available we will contact them!
How sweet would it be if nobody was hungry, cold, homeless, depressed, jobless or lonely because every Christian gives of themselves as selflessly as Jesus did? I see a generation that is emerging filled with passion, drive and creativity. It is my prayer that they would use these gifts that God has given them to serve others and not themselves because when they do we will be one step closer to being the Church As It Should Be.