If you don't have something nice to say...Shut Up!!!
I try to keep an open mind when it comes to church. Not everyone likes the same things and I do respect that everyone should have the freedom to choose. HOWEVER, when I see and hear people "church bashing or "critiquing" it infuriates me ..to the point that I think I could physically hurt the person.
Again I understand that people have bruises from past experiences. I have bruises from past experiences but it's something that needs to be given to God and given time to heal. The church is the bride of Christ. He doesn't want Christians kicking her in the gut. I'm reading a book by Margaret Feinberg called " the organic God" and she expresses it much better than I can.
"Now, I'm not naive. I realize the church in America is far from perfect and in many ways has gone astray, but the church is still the bride of Christ. She may have holes in her dress, stains on her shoes, and smeared makeup on her face, but at the end of the day, she is still the bride. When we recognize that God's perspective of the church is not necessarily our own, then we will begin treating her with the respect and care she deserves. We will begin building her up to what she is meant to be instead of tearing her down."....Anyone with a pulse can point out the ragamuffin qualities of a local assembly, but if you spend too much time focused on the stains, then you'll soon lose focus on our wildly infallible God. He is far more concerned with his church than you or I or a hundred pastors put together will ever be. He has a plan. He makes no mistakes. He will not fail"
Again I understand that people have bruises from past experiences. I have bruises from past experiences but it's something that needs to be given to God and given time to heal. The church is the bride of Christ. He doesn't want Christians kicking her in the gut. I'm reading a book by Margaret Feinberg called " the organic God" and she expresses it much better than I can.
"Now, I'm not naive. I realize the church in America is far from perfect and in many ways has gone astray, but the church is still the bride of Christ. She may have holes in her dress, stains on her shoes, and smeared makeup on her face, but at the end of the day, she is still the bride. When we recognize that God's perspective of the church is not necessarily our own, then we will begin treating her with the respect and care she deserves. We will begin building her up to what she is meant to be instead of tearing her down."....Anyone with a pulse can point out the ragamuffin qualities of a local assembly, but if you spend too much time focused on the stains, then you'll soon lose focus on our wildly infallible God. He is far more concerned with his church than you or I or a hundred pastors put together will ever be. He has a plan. He makes no mistakes. He will not fail"
posted by Rochelle @ 7:57 PM
2 Comments:
At 1:01 PM,
Adam said…
I struggle with this myself, especially when it comes to megachurches. Although the church you're at is a great church, and it's a megachurch - it's hard not to be critical of things. For me though, it's not criticism of the service, so much as what the mission and the direction of a church is.
At 2:18 PM,
Rochelle said…
When all of the focus is on the negative of the church and no positive. I personally feel that a person is truly being self focused. They aren't looking at the outward focus of the church. They are looking at themselves and what the church does for them instead of trying to figure out if God has led them to that church for a reason. I didn't like a lot of things about Apex at first but I don't focus on those negative things and I certainly don't go around bashing it for those things..I look at the positive..it is a very outreach focused church and I focused on finding my place in how I can serve and impact lives for Christ. What works for me may not for someone else including messages..a message Rob gives one week may touch my heart but not someone else there.and the next week it may totally opposite. I just find that there's too much "nitpicking"
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