Why do we overpromise and underdeliver? No one likes it. The person who makes the promise almost always feels impending doom because he knows he can't do what he said he was gonna do. On the other side of the coin you have the person who's expectations are not gonna be met.
I see this way too much in the church today.
People join a church for a sense of community...as a place to belong. The expectations are that you will find a community of like minded believers that will stand with you through thick and thin. Mike at Church for Men Florida has an interesting post today. The post is essentially a former gang member talking about how disappointed he was with the lack of true family in the church. He said his former gang was a better example of a family!
I've been attending the same church for almost 6 years. Not until recently have I felt like I truly belong; that I have people I can go to in times of strife and times of awesomeness. Some, if not a lot, of that is my fault. But why is it that a group of folks that claim to have accepted the greatest news the world, the gospel of Jesus Christ, can't act like a friend the way Christ describes a friend? In John 15:13 Christ says, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." That's tough, I know, but are we even trying to come close?
The other question is are people filled with high expectations of community by the church itself? Would the church be better served to simplify its mission and the projection of that mission to the community? If a church advertises to everyone that you'll find family there, and then you don't, why emphasize that? That would be like me saying to a buddy of mine to come over this weekend to watch the NFL playoffs in peace and quiet, and when he gets here he sees the Wray family circus in it's first of three acts!
Like almost everyone of my thoughts that I bring up here, I don't have an answer. There are a lot of you out there that seem to be much more thorough with your thoughts. Anyone have any answers?
The resounding piece of scripture that keeps coming to me is in Matthew 22 when Jesus answers the Pharisees on what the greatest commandments are. He says to love your God with all of your hear, mind, soul and strength, which is the greatest commandment. BUT He also says to love your neighbor as you love yourself. How often can I say that I've done that? Not enough, that's fo' sho'!
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2 comments:
I think you do have the answer & you demonstrate it in your actions, Mr Wray. You make yourself available to me & others in friendship & brotherhood. That blesses me, in helping me to feel part of your community ... part of your family. So ... if we each just reach out a bit like you ... be just a bit more genuinely available ... following God ...
It just hurts that we as a whole aren't as embracing as we should be. New believers in most churches are faced with a "Now what?" moment more often than not. It's sad.
I know that the communal movement is picking up steam because of that, and that's great as long as the basic theology still focuses on Jesus as Lord and not as some limp wristed, granola eating, mega hippie.
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