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Donald Miller in “Blue Like Jazz” points out that “sinners” outside the church are often more loving than the “saints” inside. Correctly, I believe, he says people will never hear our message if they think we don’t love them; that God loves sinners and so should we by not using our acceptance as currency to purchase desired behavior.

This is a true message, but only half the story written by someone with no children, spouse, or responsibility for anyone but himself. A parent or pastor would most likely have an additional perspective.

The world accepts the quirky because the world is quirky — even religious views are considered by most of the world as just one more quirk. All have quirks bundled in various combinations and God does accept us and love us, quirks and all. But the other half of the story (outside Donald’s book) is that some quirks like profanity, inebriation, immorality, and such, are actually harmful.

Those with responsibility to protect flock or family can’t allow harmful quirks to be unchecked.

Determining which quirks are benign and which are not is where families and churches get their distinctions — and are not always bad.

The role of family and church is not evangelism but protection and nourishment. It is the responsibility of each member to evangelize with the love of Christ for all.

— fritz

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DeadChurch

The best that can be said for it is that the testing process will bring truth into the open and confirm it. – 1 Corinthians 11:19 (The Message)

Why does God let vibrant exciting Holy Spirit led local churches dwindle, die, and/or become hollowed out shells?

There is a tendency to look at the local church, any local church, as THE CHURCH; easy to pour our efforts into a group or building thinking we are doing God’s work; easy to think our group is different than their group.

It becomes easy to forget our connection to God is a faith and choice connection to Christ Jesus alone; easy to turn the encouragement of like-minded people into a dependence on like-minded people.

I think if God did NOT let churches die we would put our fellowship gatherings above him.

Just a thought.

Fritz.

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ChurchPeople

  1. “The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. – Ephesians 1:22-23
  2. “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant.” – Jesus (John 15:5)
  3. “…Whoever loves a father loves his child also.” – 1 John 5:1

What we call church, one on every street corner, is a gathering of fellow believers in Christ for strength and encouragement; nothing more or less. What the Bible calls Church is the living Christ, Jesus, acting through men and women who are connected to him like a branch to a vine, not a pyramid.

When we fall in love with God we will want to be with his children and church is a good place to do so. But which one? Probably the one that gives the most comfort and encouragement to one’s personal walk with Christ.

— fritz

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