I Love My Church

Realizing that there will be several individuals that will read this blog who are attendees of my church, Life in Christ Fellowship, I am tempted to misstate my feelings in this post. However, I will resist buttering up my people and just tell the truth from my heart.

As the title states, I do love my church. I daily thank and praise the Lord for such an awesome privilege of serving them as their pastor. I have been here for almost 1 year now. The days have gone by very quickly and for the most part smoothly. Has it been all a bed of roses? No, it has not. There have been days and situations that have irritated me, as flies do horses on a humid summer day. There have been days in which I pulled the window shades and locked the doors because I needed recovery time.

But, the whole balance of all days has been totally awesome and fulfilling. It is amazing how just a year ago, both Debbie and I were totally drained by the abandonment and rejection that we went through at our previous pastorate, but now we both feel whole. I can truly say, I am now longer just content in the place of ministry but I am truly and completely happy. What an amazing feeling that is!

I have been praying and searching my heart to make sure I am in balance with God’s will for the path of LICF. He has so graciously burdened my heart and soul deeply for these people. The burden goes beyond just those who are a part of our congregation, but I can honestly say without any reserve, it goes to those who WILL be a part of our church. Does that make sense? It is different that the burden for the whole community. I wish I could explain it further.

Because of this burden, it brings me to some restlessness dealing with the ministry of the church. I just want my people to deeply and freshly experience an invigorating moving of the Holy Spirit in their lives. I deeply believe that God wants to pour down upon us and do a mighty thing in our midst. So often through the account of the early church this happened only when the people were gathered together in a central location with their hearts, souls and minds united in focused upon God. I am greatly perplexed by the lack of commitment that people have at times to the gathering together of the Body of Christ. I know God can bless and move in people’s lives in their private times of individual worship, but why is there the abandonment of the Body gathering? I have asked a few other pastors about this, and they too have the same question.

Offer food … and they will come. Have music practice they will come to that, but leave prior to the studying of God’s word. Why?

To my people who read this. Please know and hold on to this thought. I LOVE YOU WITH ALL THAT I AM. I just desire that we all experience together (all of us and those who come along later) the awesome, glorious, refreshing, empowering, cleansing, leading, healing, equipping and so forth power of God! If today, this point of time in the history of our church, we who are the current people of the church do not make a re-focusing desire to the ministry and events of the church, what will that tell those who come along later? If they see us sitting in the second chair instead of the first chair, they will be taught that it is ok to remain distant in their commitment.

It was explained to me this way some time back. Today’s church people (I am not just referring to those who attend LICF) treat their commitment to the church and its ministry like leaving a tip on the table. I ask … how long could we get away with the paying of our restaurant tab by just leaving a tip in the table? Once … twice? NO we have to pay the total of the bill or we will be in trouble.

Why is it so often believers feel they can get away with just leaving a tip and not paying the whole tab? (No I am not talking about paying tithes).

There is a great debate among many church leaders about the church not being relevant to the world around her. But I ask are you as a believer making yourself relevant to the church? Maybe that is the question that should be addressed 1st? If the world could see that the believers believe in the local church and its ministry, they may ask, “What is going on that makes people so committed?” If the world could see the Church excited about being the Church, I believe that they, the world, would get interested and feel that they too need to be a part. You see, it is human nature to go where the excitement is taking place. I am not talking about pure emotionalism. I am taking about the church getting excited about being the Church. Being excited to be the messenger of the Message. The world around the local church needs to experience that is still the tool of God’s design to exclaim the truth to those with out the truth!

Yes I love my church. Because of this love, it brings me to my knees daily as I intercede for them before the throne. I just want us all to experience together; all that God wants to do in our midst. I simply refuse to believe that we have seen, heard or experience it all. I believe the best is yet to come. But are you going to be there to experience it together or will you have to hear about it in the 6 o’clock news report?

I love you, LICF. I am blessed and honored to be called your pastor.