"If We Are The Body..."

We have lived in our new town for approximately 3 months. During this time, we have attended several community events. We have also visited 6 different churches. Do you know how many people have contacted us directly from the churches? Two. Maybe. Out of 6 churches. No one has visited us in our home, even tho we are new to town and checked the "I am interested in your church" box on their visitor's forms.

What is going on? 

I think we have decided that a form letter from a church that is signed by the pastor is an acceptable form of evangelism. It is not. One of the churches we visited sent us an email. Again...so personal, right? Now, Jim and I aren't sitting at home waiting on someone to come and meet us, and hold our hands as we walk thru life. Seriously, we aren't. And we already ARE Christians, so no one has to come and "evangelize" us. But, what if we weren't? What if we were new-to-town AND we weren't Believers?

We are failing, people.

Nearly every Thursday night, I go up to the field-house with some Football Moms. There are about 6-8 women who meet and make posters and fill up treat-bags for our boys. Our family has been to nearly every Varsity football game, but we've been to EVERY sophomore and JV game. The home games AND the away games. Do you know how many people from the Football Moms group or people at a football game have come up to meet our new-to-town family? None.

And, there are a lot of people at a Varsity football game...sometimes, it's even hard to find a seat. I get that. But at a JV game? A SOPHOMORE game? Give me a break. When we walk in, our family of 3...Jim, Joshua and me...it's OBVIOUS that we are new. I mean, there is no one else that looks like Joshua in the stands. Obviously, we haven't been around before, right?

And yet all we get is stares.

What are the words in the Casting Crowns song, "if we are the body, why aren't His arms reaching?"

Because talk is cheap.

I bet if you took a poll from that any given high school football game in our town, 90% OR MORE would claim that they are Christians. Probably would say they attend church on a regular basis. Probably were there last Sunday. Might've even sat by you. Or by me.

Why? Why do we even bother to go?

Because this ain't workin'.

How can we expect to reach the world for Christ, when we won't even reach out to the ones in our own churches, schools, and neighborhoods?

I'm sure there are people who would say, "well, why don't you be the bigger person and go over to meet THEM..." and in certain situations, we have done that. It's just really hard to move to a new place and not know anyone. It can be such a lonely time. The last thing I want is the entire responsibility of meeting people. Work with me people. It's exhausting, moving. At times, I've felt invisible. It doesn't bother me so much at community events as it does when it happens in church.

Church is supposed to be the place you go where you feel safe and loved; where you hear God's word and sing His praises, and you are convicted and humbled and inspired. But all of the warm feelings of Christian fellowship and community aren't supposed to stay inside the building. We're supposed to take that Light out the door and down the street...and into the schools and work-places, and to the grocery and Target and the DMV and everywhere else that we go.

Because people are DYING. They are dying for someone to love them, yes...but they are also DYING and missing out on the blessing of Heaven because they don't know Jesus. Because maybe they heard about Him in church, but never really MET Him. Because maybe they never saw anyone being His hands and feet.

"The Lord...is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish..." (2 Peter 3:9)

I'm not meaning to point fingers, even tho I guess I am. I've been guilty of it, too. I've been too busy...been too comfortable in my own group of friends. It's just easier to see wrong in someone ELSE...or when the tables are turned and it affects ME. So I'm doing the whole 'remove the beam from your own eye' thing, and I pray that God will make me sensitive to the people around me.

"Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers..." (Hebrews 13:2)