Thursday, November 27, 2008

Forgiving the Church

Galatians 6:1-5 (ESV)
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. [2] Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. [3] For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. [4] But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. [5] For each will have to bear his own load.
Churches are full of sinners. No, it is true! They are. I’ll let you in on another secret. The pastor tends to be one too. Too often people are bent on trying to find the perfect church, the perfect congregation. Too often everyone in the congregation is putting so much pressure on themselves and others to be perfect to become this perfect congregation where no one sins. The upshot is church becomes a hard place to be on Sunday morning. Often it is hard to relate with everyone and the facades they put on. People are often afraid to let others know what they are dealing with, thinking they will be judged by those around them. The funny thing about that is often we are all dealing with the same problems.
Church isn’t a place to be judged. It is a place to be forgiven. I’m not saying we should all get together in circles and confess all our sins publicly or anything like that. But neither should we have to worry when we are at church that we aren’t as good as so and so, or be looking down our nose at others. We’re supposed to bear with each other’s burdens, their sins. That is we in the church should be forgiving each other, restoring each other in a spirit of gentleness. That is what the church is for. It is in the business of forgiveness. We go there to be forgiven, because the Christian life is not about living the perfect life, but living the forgiven life. The forgiven life forgives. It is the Christian life and the life of the church, forgiveness is.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

"The pastor tends to be a sinner."

Well, I haven't seen any of that, but I'll take your word for it.

We truly are all in the same boat!

But it is a boat whose beam and rudder are tied to the Living Word and in whose forgiveness we are carried.

apollo819 said...

Very fitting post for today.
The gift of "Christ's Forgiveness" should be at the top of the list of that which we are "Thankful".

Gods Peace Bror and Happy Thanksgiving to you all.

Bror Erickson said...

Was wondering if you were still around Apollo,
Hey Steve, thanks for letting me hang out this last week.