It can be very easy for us to simply state that we love Jesus but don't love the church, but McKnight reminds us:
"Instead of despising the church because of its weaknesses, perhaps we should learn to love the church because it welcomes the weak and offers healing over time by simply gathering around Jesus" (pg. 68).
McKnight also reminds us that a way to love God's people is to get involved:
"We are not given gifts to hoard for
ourselves or so our pantry will be filled for every possible emergency.
We are gifted by God--and here we are back again to the Jesus Creed's
second element of loving our neighbor as ourselves--'for the common
good'" (pgs. 68-69).
All of you are doing an amazing job of loving the church by
participating in the church, but it can be easy to get disallusioned by
the imperfect-ness of the church. We need to remember that the church
was never meant to be a haven for perfect people but a place for
cracked eikons (images of God) to be made whole. What are some ways
that God has provided for you to love His people?
Posted on
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
by Redwood Park