Sunday reflections
Yesterday during the sermon I shared two things I hadn't planned to share (actually there were three, but I'm only going to write about two of them).
I told the church I used to think local churches were lame. And I talked about someone I knew who had invited her husband to church every Sunday for a year. Both stories struck a nerve... so I'll share again.
I told the church I once thought local churches were lame. I was talking about Bill Hybel's statement (he says it a lot) that he believe "the local church is the hope of the world." I didn't always believe that. And I told the church so. When I went to seminary I was basically convinced that local churches were lame. They were irrelevant and ineffective. I had visions of working for God - but not in a local church. I wanted to do parachurch ministry with the poor. I would attend a church ('cause I need it) but I would work in an organization that was more effective.
All that changed when I did an internship at Fourth Presbyterian in South Boston, MA. If you ever get a chance to go - you should... at least as long as Burns Stanfield is the pastor. This church was doing everything I wanted to do. They were feeding the hungry, befriending the friendless. They were keeping kids off the streets, out of jail and out of gangs. They were helping people break addictions. All things I wanted to do, but there were doing it as a church, together, in community, worshipping God. They were introducing people to Jesus. There is something powerful when the guy who has been serving at the food pantry, is also praying with his neighbor (who is there to get food), before taking a bag of groceries home himself because he is poor. And then he brings his neighbor back on Sunday for church. The transformation is more wholistic. I no longer think local churches are lame. I believe the church is God's plan to change the world.
I also told the church about a lady who invited her husband to church for a year. He finally gave in but told her that the first weirdo he met... and he was out of there. After church over coffee he met a guy (let's call him Charlie). Turns out Charlie liked the same sports team "Scott" did. They even had season tickets not too far from each other. Largely because of that conversation "Scott" came back to church. He came again and again. Six months later he became a Christian and was baptized. It probably saved his marriage.
I wonder who made the coffee that Scott and Charlie drank that day? Without that coffee they probably wouldn't have met, Scott wouldn't have met Jesus, become a Christian and would probably be divorced right now. Funny how stuff we do in church doesn't always seem like a big deal, but God can use to build His kingdom.
I was amazed at how many people spoke to me about those two illustrations after church. We have a lot of people who at one time decided church was lame and are now beginning to investigate it again 'cause they feel the Spirit pulling them back. It's also amazing how many people have been inviting their spouse or "special" friend to church week after week. Let's pray for both groups of people. God is at work. Maybe God can use you to make a difference in their lives.
I told the church I used to think local churches were lame. And I talked about someone I knew who had invited her husband to church every Sunday for a year. Both stories struck a nerve... so I'll share again.
I told the church I once thought local churches were lame. I was talking about Bill Hybel's statement (he says it a lot) that he believe "the local church is the hope of the world." I didn't always believe that. And I told the church so. When I went to seminary I was basically convinced that local churches were lame. They were irrelevant and ineffective. I had visions of working for God - but not in a local church. I wanted to do parachurch ministry with the poor. I would attend a church ('cause I need it) but I would work in an organization that was more effective.
All that changed when I did an internship at Fourth Presbyterian in South Boston, MA. If you ever get a chance to go - you should... at least as long as Burns Stanfield is the pastor. This church was doing everything I wanted to do. They were feeding the hungry, befriending the friendless. They were keeping kids off the streets, out of jail and out of gangs. They were helping people break addictions. All things I wanted to do, but there were doing it as a church, together, in community, worshipping God. They were introducing people to Jesus. There is something powerful when the guy who has been serving at the food pantry, is also praying with his neighbor (who is there to get food), before taking a bag of groceries home himself because he is poor. And then he brings his neighbor back on Sunday for church. The transformation is more wholistic. I no longer think local churches are lame. I believe the church is God's plan to change the world.
I also told the church about a lady who invited her husband to church for a year. He finally gave in but told her that the first weirdo he met... and he was out of there. After church over coffee he met a guy (let's call him Charlie). Turns out Charlie liked the same sports team "Scott" did. They even had season tickets not too far from each other. Largely because of that conversation "Scott" came back to church. He came again and again. Six months later he became a Christian and was baptized. It probably saved his marriage.
I wonder who made the coffee that Scott and Charlie drank that day? Without that coffee they probably wouldn't have met, Scott wouldn't have met Jesus, become a Christian and would probably be divorced right now. Funny how stuff we do in church doesn't always seem like a big deal, but God can use to build His kingdom.
I was amazed at how many people spoke to me about those two illustrations after church. We have a lot of people who at one time decided church was lame and are now beginning to investigate it again 'cause they feel the Spirit pulling them back. It's also amazing how many people have been inviting their spouse or "special" friend to church week after week. Let's pray for both groups of people. God is at work. Maybe God can use you to make a difference in their lives.
