c. scott andreas

Mark J. Berry posted a shot from a presentation delivered by Gill Poole to the Church Mission Society Directors and Managers meeting:

Without context, I can’t say whether Gill was expressing his opinion or giving voice to a popular concern within the church. We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. As such, let’s just take a look at the statement itself.

“I love Jesus. I hate church.”

I’m a huge fan of making community with the body of Christ as accessible as possible and do what I can to make that happen. But this statement indicates either a lack of love for one’s brothers and sisters, or an inability to play nicely with them.

Neither of these are acceptable within the Kingdom.

Granted, different people are suited to different styles of worship (you won’t catch me speaking in tongues). But the fact that some who proclaim membership in the Body cannot find a community with whom they’re comfortable or even put aside these differences for one measly hour each week in order to worship our Creator, Lord, and Redeemer is troubling. While I acknowledge that there’s still probably a niche that 35,000 denominations have been unable to fill, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find something close enough in order that love might triumph over boredom.

If the pure, unadulterated love shown to us by our God is powerful enough to deliver us from our sins, shouldn’t it be able to overcome a little grumble over teaching or tempo?

If we love Christ, we must love His people. Even though we’re a pretty kooky family.

Let’s stop the church-bashing. Let’s transform reactive movements into proactive movements, lest we forget what we aspire to become by focusing too intently upon that which we abhor.

Because love wins.