An Open Letter to the Church

An Open Letter to the Church

Bride of Christ,

I must admit that I am often too quick to judge, to condemn or just plain get frustrated with you. But what I see makes me sad. I see that so very often we (I am including myself as part of the global body) focus on the minor, things that are petty in relation to what is really important. So, I ask that you put aside your programs and your disagreements for a moment.

Do you see the harvest fields, dear Bride? Do you see souls hungry for the Truth, the Living Water that can fill them up like no other? Do you see the broken, the poor, the widow, the orphan, the farmer that just lost all his crop, the single mother who has no one to turn to, the woman who is well along in years and feels forgotten? Do you see the entire people groups, entire islands and nations FULL of people who do not know the name of Jesus, do not know the source of hope, have never HEARD?

Does this break your heart? Why then do you fuss over buildings and locations, programs for the sake of numbers, the attempt to control and have things your way? Why have we stopped being the body, seeing first of all that Jesus is the Head? Not us, never us. Why then do you stay within the walls of safety, the church building? Why then do you think YOU should be fed, you feel entitled to a certain kind of sermon, you even work hard to serve in the name of Jesus but you take your eyes off of HIM when you fail to resolve your problems with your sisters and brothers?

Oh, Church, would you look up in deep worship to our Lord? Look out, look out at the hopeless and dying. Yes, be fed through the Bread of God’s Word, be refreshed through the Holy Spirit, and don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together. But in your striving, don’t forget WHY we are here. It is not to DO church but to BE, to be the body, to show love and to preach truth. Make every effort to keep peace with each other and don’t give up when it gets tough, because it WILL be tough. Don’t be so consumed with what is within that you put aside what is without, those who NEED so desperately the hope you have to offer.