Encouragement

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As a pastor I seem to spend quite a bit of my time trying to defend what many think is a lost cause. A couple of years ago everyone wanted to talk about Dan Brown and how he was destroying what was left of the Christian faith. Now, of course, it's Richard Dawkins that everyone is asking me questions about. Somehow we survived Mr Brown and we will survive Mr Dawkins, but there is a larger issue that never goes away.

From both inside and outside Christian circles I 'get stick' about what is wrong with the church. From those outside there are the criticisms that range from irrelevance to abuse. From Christians, many who have given up on the church, there are concerns that range from intellectual boredom, through scandals to many disappointments. What people forget is that after being a pastor for two decades, I have more dirt on the church than most could imagine. While it is easy to criticize others, I honestly know people who would describe me as the 'pastor from hell' and our church even less charitably.

In reality, in many ways a church is just like an extended family. Like families, there are always secrets, scandals and things we wish were different. We let each other down and we fail to practice what we expect of others. But sometimes in our brokenness we get a glimpse into something almost heavenly. In spite of the difficulties, I still believe in family and I still believe in the local church.

Last Sunday our concern at church was the disease of cancer. There are many in our community who wear the scars of scrapes with cancer and carry the grief for those who have lost the battle. In response, for some years some of our members have organized an annual fundraiser for the Cancer Council. Last Sunday we did that, but went much deeper. We listened as various members shared their stories of their battles with cancer.

What surprised me was that they all talked about the church. They talked about what it means to be part of a community that cares and a faith that hopes. A lot of people were in tears at our church last Sunday. We remembered those we had lost; we gave thanks for medical wisdom that has saved many; we remembered our own brevity; and we celebrated what it means to be the Body of Christ. One member described it like this: "It was like we were not just doing church together, but 'doing life' as a church and as Christians".

The Bible describes the church as like a body. To be honest, we are not always sleek and beautiful - we have wrinkles, birthmarks, scars and quite a few bad knees. In fact at times we fall badly. But the opportunity to live within and fellowship with the Body of Christ still remains one of God's surprising joys.

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." 1Corinthians 12: 12-14,27 (NIV)

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