Here is the Church....

(from a note I wrote a few weeks back, and was very inspired by people I know here in Delaware...)

Here is the church…Early in the morning, while it’s still dark, a man shows up early to shovel snow, throw down some salt, and unlock the doors.  Nobody really knows he’s doing it.  Yet it’s his personal act of worship.  He’s got a song in his heart as he serves the Bride of Christ and worships the King – with a snow shovel.

  

Here is the church…a group of friends hears about a couple who has struggled with some home repairs.  Four or five guys get together and say we want to help you remodel your house.  We’ll pay for it, we’ll put in the time and we know how to do it.  So they get together and volunteer hours and money and sweat.  They’ve got a song in their hearts as they serve their friends and worship the King.

Here is the church… three nights a week, guys meet in different homes to hang out, talk about sports and cars and work.  After a while, the conversation goes deeper and they start to talk about God and His Work in their lives.  They read the Bible together and ask questions and challenge each other to grow.  They pray for their marriages, for their kids, and for each other. 

Here is the church… every Sunday, a young couple volunteers their time to teach first graders in Sunday School.  They take a few hours that week to read and prepare and pray, but then they show up faithfully on Sundays and almost never get the credit.  They get the joy of seeing kids learn, ask questions, explore God personally, and tell their parents about Jesus. 

Here is the church... he doesn’t make much money and he never has.  But every month, he somehow sticks to his commitment to give back to God.  Sometimes he wonders if he can afford that check, but every time, God provides for his needs.  Friends at church have helped him out when he needed it most. 

     Here is the church… This is still the place where hurting people can find healing.  Where desperate people can find hope, and where broken people can find love.  Where any and all sinners are welcome, and all of us can find forgiveness and new life in Christ Jesus.  This is still the place – and we, the church, are still God’s people, for better or for worse… He’s committed to us… purchased us with His blood shed on the cross…

            We are still the people devoted to Jesus Christ…  We are devoted to Him… We pray, we serve, we give, we love, we stretch, we sacrifice, we depend, we persevere, we learn, we confess, we draw near….  We experience the power of God.    Here is the Church.