Free to Love an Imperfect Church

We live in a generation that lives behind the statement “We love Jesus, but we hate the church.”  I have heard it more times than I can count. I may have even wrestled with seasons of “not hating, but not loving” the Church.  Get together any group of people and there will be messiness. But get together a group with such a diverse array of opinions and backgrounds and families and preferences and cultures and experiences, it can create a maze to navigate.  Which we do not do perfectly.

And that is the kicker for me.  Perfection has always been the goal just out of my reach.  Always in my sights, but never able to grasp. Because I am human of course.  But something deep inside has a hard time being content with less than perfection.  And because I am taunted by that ridiculous standard, I have an affinity for unknowingly holding other things to that same impossible standard as well.

One being the Church.  It felt loving to hold the Church (universal more than local, because I love my local church) to such a high standard because we are the body of Christ, right?  We are His representation. I am not giving out any free passes. We don’t have time for that.

But instead of having any sort of benefit, that mindset just caused destruction in my soul.  It made me a slave to criticism, doubt, and judgementaness. It made me negative, prideful, and self-righteous.  It left me vulnerable to comparison and people pleasing and division.

Do you see the Gospel in those attitudes?  No, because it isn’t there.

Christ loved the Church.  He came to save His people, and build His church.  Paul wrote many letters to imperfect churches, correcting and rebuking, and never writing them off, as I was so prone to do.

The Church is imperfect, yes.  But it is lovely because Christ called it lovely.  It is being cleansed and sanctified by the Holy Spirit.  Which is a process that requires a lot of patience and grace. And some personal buy in. It is the same process we ourselves are experiencing right this very minute.

You see, as I have seen the way Christ interacts with the Church through scripture, I have found a new freedom to love it in all its imperfections.  Just as Christ loves me. And in doing so I have felt a weight I never knew I was carrying lift off my shoulders.

I pray our generation grows to love and care for the Church.  To nurture it and take an active role in the growth, healing, and restoration that Christ wants to do in it.  Not just stand at the sidelines pointing fingers and throwing stones.

Let us put aside criticism and competition.  Let us link arms with our fellow brothers and sisters and pray for healing and sanctification.  Pray for willing hearts to join in the process.

Let us extend grace.  

When there is brokenness, let us champion reconciliation.  Let us commit to believing the best in one another. Walking with grace and truth, encouragement and support.

God loves and delights in His Church.  It is a gift to us. The Church is not meant to be a stumbling block, something to endure and put up with.  It is a living and breathing example of God’s love for us individually and as a whole. It is a place to take root in and thrive collectively.  It is a place to give and receive love, correction, guidance, support, and care.

I praise God for the Body.  And instead of seeing all the flaws,  I am choosing to pray for its continual growth and sanctification.  To pray for repentance and reconciliation where necessary. And to pray that it will grow in hearts being won for the Gospel.  

Will you join me?  Let’s be the change we want to see.  Let’s humble ourselves in prayer as a people desiring a healthy and prosperous universal Church body, centered on Truth and Grace.