I had coffee with an acquaintance last week. We were both interested in learning more about each other. It turns out we had overlapped a bit at the same high school years ago and had some friends in common.
It was a good conversation. We didn’t talk about what either of us did for a living, but he knew that I was a pastor. As we got up to leave, my new friend told me he wasn’t religious. In fact, he said, he had some misgivings about how the church is today, at least from his perspective. I think I surprised him with my response. “I do, too,” I said.
The church is far from perfect. It is made up of flawed and imperfect people. We in the church can be quick to judge others and overlook our own faults. We can be petty and selfish, mean-spirited and mouthy, small-minded and picky.
There is a church in North Caroline that has the following message on the message board outside:
“You might think we are full of hypocrites,
but there actually is still room for more!”
All that is true, but at the same time, I love the church. It is the place that has nurtured and cared for me. It is the place where I met some wonderful people who showed me what it is to serve others. It’s where I learned to love tuna casserole and broccoli salad. It’s the place that encouraged me as a leader and gave me an outlook on life. And it’s where I learned that I am loved by God.
God has a way of using whatever material is at hand. The Book of Genesis tells us God took a handful of dirt and breathed on it to make human beings. God continues to take less-than-perfect people, brings them together, and makes it possible for heaven to be seen on earth, at least now and then. I am grateful for the church here at Calvary UMC and in other places worldwide.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Steve