God smacked me today. I realized I loved my church too much. Why do I say that? Because I was convicted by the reality that I think I love my church more than I love my community. I have come to love KFA so much that I’m afraid I might have allowed it to, over time, diminish my love for the community my church has been called to do ministry in.
Yes, I believe my church is impacting our community. But as the church grows, it is so easy to get caught up in church activity and even church relationships, to the extent we lose our love for our community. I know some people are still striving to get good relationships in the first place, so that might come off to them as over-the-top.
But here’s the pattern I see emerge in the book of Acts: as people in the early church fell more and more in love with God, they fell more in love with, not their church, but their community. Their love for God produced in them a love for people and a passion to share Christ’s love with everyone in their community.
Do I love my church? Absolutely.
Do I love the people in my church? Definitely.
Are there tons of things I love about our church? Tons.
I just think a real love for God shouldn’t just produce more love for my church, but also more love for my community. If it doesn’t, then whatever Godly passion I claim to have isn’t a passion from Him.
So - I commit to allowing God’s love FOR me produce more love IN me and THRU me for the people in my community. I can’t love everything the most. So today, I pledged to God that I would love KFA just a little less and love my community a lot more.
How about you? Which do you love more? Your church? Or your community?
And be blessed.
6 comments:
I am learning to love all people like jesus does. When I put my own opinion or view aside and look through his eyes, it is easy to love especially the hurting and non committed:) I am finding myself rebuking the human response and hit the refresh button;)
I feel more comfortable in my community. I can relax and just be myself. I think part of that is I spend 95% of my time there. I am not in the midst of a Christian circle of family and friends. I am an anomaly in my circles.
Initially, I was ecstatic about finding KFA and I loved the church. Over time, though, I found that I could never be perfect enough. Every time I went over one hurdle, I was confronted with another.
I see a sea of smiling faces at KFA, but what intrigues me is how many people raise their hands when you ask at the end of a sermon, who is sruggling with an area they need prayer for. Is it possible that they, too, feel the pressure to be perfect?
I need to watch the dvd of your sermon to see what it was about, but I still like the Shack. That is a trinity I can love wholeheartedly and relate to. I take it that is not the correct image of who God is, though.
You can see hurdles in one of two ways -- Wow, there's another one in front of me again? or ... Look back and see how many you've already pushed over and how far you've come ... glass half-empty vs. glass half-full.
I don't think a 'sea of smiling face' has anything to do with people raising hands and giving thanks to God. That's the RIGHT position to be in when you have a struggle. I wonder if we would like church better if we walked in and saw a 'sea of frowning faces.'
I'm sorry, PK...I didn't mean it that way. No, I don't think we should see a sea of frowning faces. I'm just a person who wears my emotions on my sleeve and I always wonder how those who are going thru difficult times can still seem so happy.
I work with the public, so I do understand it in some ways. I have no choice, but to smile and be helpful. I find it hard to do, though...when I would rather bury my head under the covers till it passes.
PK...you seem to be up a good deal of the time. How do you stay upbeat when things are difficult? How did you maintain your outlook when you went thru the year with two houses? Is it just something you must do as pastor or have you always been that way?
It's a bigger picture for me. I'm not always up, but I have the philosophy that we can't afford to have a 'bad day' when we're in ministry. People see that and then MY bad day makes me say something or do something that turns people off to the Gospel, so I try to stay up. That isn't to say - in my own small group - that i'm always that way. Or with people who are close to me. They see me other ways.
THe year and a half with two homes was certainly a time when i WASN'T up all the time. My wife will tell you I was a completely different person during that troubling time.
Having said that, I do try to share some of my own weaknesses and personal difficulties with the congregation so they know I'm not made out of stone.
Yes, I do think you share some of the more personal things with us. I know there are times when you are giving the sermon that something touches you...it tugs on my heartstrings, too, because I care about you. Overall, you seem happy, though.
You are a complex person, though. I think that is one reason that I don't get bored with you...the blog and sermons and emails. There are so many facets to your personality. You are the deepest thinker I have ever gotten to know.
Wish I had a little bit of your discipline and control, though. It would serve me well...I am so Type B...
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