Church is people
Church is friends that say “hi” and give a hug
Church is singing and playing together
Church is sharing troubles, joys, grief, and pain
Church is worshipping together, even while sitting next to
that person who sings off-key
Church is listening to the minister remind us of our salvation,
our hope, our sin, our responsibilities to our family, our responsibilities to
our government, our responsibilities to our God
Church is messy
Church hurts
Church is not an option, but a commandment from our Heavenly
Leader
Church teaches children to walk the narrow path
Church binds us, strengthens us, challenges us, gives us
unspeakable joy, gives us tremendous pain, binds our wounds, forgives us, holds
us accountable, holds us close, reminds us of the future celebration, remembers
us, serves us, offers opportunities and teaches us to serve others
Church is hard, always changing, growing, stretching
Church is the best challenge a human being will ever sign up
for
Church is you
Church is me
~
Come join the fun!
I loved this! "Church is messy" and "hurts" - when the call for in-person church went out 2 weeks ago, the Lord had to do a heart work on me to see that "church is people" and since I know and can readily accept that people are messy, I should extend that same grace to the church as it has been extended to me - the church. What a wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteVisiting from FMF #3
Thank you so much! We just started in-person services again and it's really hard for me to wear a mask and try to love people anyway ... but God is good! He knows what he's doing.
DeleteThank you for visiting!
Church is you. Church is me.
ReplyDeleteWe took a similar approach to the word Church. I thankful for all the church presence in my life through people! Email, text, call, hug, and pray.
Yes! Amen! you gotta stay connected! We have live-stream and I survived on that since March. really hard, but we will see it through.
DeleteThank you for visiting!
Church is hard, always changing, growing, stretching ... yes, for that is each one of us. May we remember this and extend the love and grace of Christ to one another.
ReplyDeleteAmen! and to those who haven't met Jesus yet!
DeleteThank you for visiting!
Great reflection on church, who we all are in the family of God! fmf#9
ReplyDeleteThank you. Thanks for visiting!
DeleteChurch certainly can be messy!!!
ReplyDeleteYou betcha! I used to think that if the church was messy it was also "wrong" so I left. After leaving several churches God woke me up.
DeleteThank you for visiting!
Y'all inspired this. Hope you like it.
ReplyDeleteChurch can be so glorious
when the great praise songs run free,
but snores can be stentorious
when the pastor boring be.
Church can offer fellowship,
a shared and happy time,
but tempting, too, to bring a whip
for children out of line.
Church unwraps the mystery,
and illuminates Good News,
but will they ever put upholstery
on these bloody pews?
Church is messy, church is fuss,
church is lovely, church is us.
Love this, Andrew.
DeleteAndrew! Wonderful!
DeleteYou've painted a good picture of the complexity of church. It is all these things and so much more!
ReplyDeleteAmie, FMF #15
Thank you. I appreciate your visit! So awesome to be back to blogging again and getting feedback. Thank you FMF!
DeleteI have to second Amie's comment.
ReplyDeleteGreat Granny Grandma, we have a second, should we vote?
DeleteThanks for visiting again. Love your comments!
(I'm just a Gramma ... :o)
Yes, church is so many things, and so complex and yet so simple. Loved this reflection on all the things it means. Visiting from FMF#25
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm so glad you came to visit!
Delete