Where is the Church?

There was a time when one could find welcoming smiles, sincere hugs, and encouraging words. Where is the church? There was a time when pastors, although somewhat older (perceived as ancient at best from Moses’ days), were nonetheless seasoned grandfatherly typed men who offered love and sound advice. These men preached the pure gospel of repentance and redemption. They spoke of a loving Savior who accepted all, despite stature, gender, or fallen sin status. This Savior offered forgiveness, and a new life; a place where one could come “just as I am” (Charlotte Elliott, 1835). Where is the church?

There was a time when the hopeless would wander alone in the darkness of this world, and when a lone light illuminating the cross shined brightly in the darkness. That light and opened doors that offered a beacon of hope drawing the sinner and welcoming the outcast. The message was clear: Enter in and find peace. Times have changed. Where is the church?

Double-locked doors and barred windows present a new unwelcoming message that says, “Keep Out,” “Do not enter,” and “You are most certainly NOT welcome here.” Deacons stand by like guard dogs or bouncers, ready to pounce at moment’s notice to dispel unwanted visitors who do not meet the perceptive standard of acceptable invitees. What about the disgraced, downtrodden, or unwanted sinners in need of a Savior? There are no lights to offer hope or that beckon the lost to seek refuge. Where is the church?

The world is dying! It is filled with hopeless people with no knowledge of who or what the church really is. Instead of standing out as a beacon of hope, the church has blended into worldly representation and thinking. Rather than offering warmth and invitation, the world sees condemnation, self-righteous judgement, and intolerance. Did Jesus shun or did He shine? Did Jesus repel or did He draw people in? Where is the church?

I have good news! The church is alive and well. Much like the directional star on an informational map, you are here! You are far more than traditional brick and mortar buildings with barred windows and locked doors. You are flesh and bone experiencers of life, and that makes you relatable. You are the hands and feet of Jesus who allow His Light to illuminate the windows of your soul, welcoming the lost with the light that shines through you. You are the church unlocking the doors of your heart to love as Jesus did and drawing others in by the radiating love and acceptance, not of the sin but of those who also need redemption. You are the church.

We are the church, redeemed by grace recognizing that we are not perfect. As it is written, “There is none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10). Every one of us sins

and falls short (Romans 3:23), and yet God still chooses to gift us His gift of eternal

life. We are the church. We have good news that God Himself loves everyone so

much that He gave His only Son to die for mankind so that we all have the

opportunity and choice to live with Him for all eternity (John 3:16). We are the

church!

The world needs you. The world needs us. The world needs the church to share

God’s love, to shine His light, and to provide hope in times of hopelessness. All is not

lost. We are the church; alive and well, and ready to show the world the reason for

hope.