"What Does He See in Her?"

A friend called my attention to an opinion piece in which the writer explains why certain high profile Christian executives are not involved in local churches. Apparently, it’s too difficult to get things done in local churches. There are too many people with whom one must deal. So some famous CEO’s involve themselves exclusively as board members of para-church agencies.

In other words: Yes, we all know that the Church is the bride of Christ, but really...! What does He see in her?

In an era when many “church people” are prepared to commit only an hour a week to "church life," being serious about the local church requires way too much time and energy. There are weeknight functions that beg for involvement. There are sick and discouraged people who are so... well, so needy! And the church leaders are always demanding more: “Why not try a small group Bible Study?” And when you finally do accept a committee slot and it's time to make a decision, you can't just issue a decree or sign an executive order. You must spend extra time bringing the whole community along!

Who has the energy for all those troublesome people? And who has time for one more church-related event? The First Century church wasn’t like this, was it?

Actually, it was. There were snarky widows to be fed and utterly unschooled Gentile believers to be mentored. There were people who made promises they couldn’t keep, and church members who got caught up in sexual immorality. There were irritating people who had to be warned to get along. And worst of all, most believers got together in homes just about every night to break bread and share in God's Word. (When did they ever find time to go to the mall or catch a movie, anyway?)

Take a few minutes and read Acts or one of Paul’s letters to the churches. Read with fresh eyes and you’ll made a shocking discovery: we don’t need more efficient churches. We need more credible disciples.

Paul knew what it meant to be a powerful succesful leader, but he always made time for unsophisticated local churches. In fact, in Ephesians 4, Paul emphasizes that we will never, ever find unity or maturity until we experience the wonder of building up the church. Our spiritual gifts are not about vanity and self-actualization. They are specifically for strengthening the local church. Needess to say, that takes faith. It also takes time, energy and tons of patient love.

The Church is God's designated instrument for reaching and discipling the entire world. If we seem to be failing at that task in these United States, our reluctance to embrace the bride of Christ might explain a lot. More next week....