September 29, 2006

My gold fish are the friendliest fish. I open the front door, walk over to the pond and they all come to the surface. They want to be near me. They’re not as cuddly as our dog and less fun to take on a walk, but they seem just about as eager.

My church is the friendliest church. I open the front door . . . .

Do you know where I’m going with this? Not to say that our members are like fish. Not to say that our church is hypocritical or shallow. Some of you wanted to go there, didn’t you?

No, I am challenged by something bigger. I’m very encouraged by the friendliness of our churches. I just want to make sure that when I evaluate how our members care for other members I use more than the measure of what happens by the front door. I need to pay attention to what’s happening with my heart and mind.

In the fish’s case, they’ve been conditioned to associate the sound of doors and approaching footsteps and the appearance of my shadow with food. They don’t want me – many times they don’t even want the food. They still act that way.

In our church’s case, it’s easy to smile and say ‘hello’ to everyone that walks through the door. I’m so friendly! And it’s true that genuine fellowship cannot survive without friendliness. Yet meaningful fellowship springs from something much, much deeper that social graces.

I want to be a part of a church that wants more than courteous behavior. I want a church that is more than friendly. I want a church that is more than just glad to see me. I want a church where all their interaction with me springs from the deep love God has placed and grown in their heart for me. The funny thing is – the only way I know how to have that kind of church is to be a person where all my interaction with them springs from the deep love god has placed and grown in my heart for them.

O God, please work this in me!

“And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” Ephesians 3:17-19

Be at peace,
Pastor Steve