When you church-bash, it’s not just your voice on the internet saying you don’t like church, but others, too, the unbeliever hears in one unified voice. Our unity should be in Christ, not in disgruntled discontent. In reading 1 Corinthians 1:10,
“Now I encourage you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Agree with each other and don’t be divided into rival groups. Instead, be restored with the same mind and the same purpose.”
I sat in church on Sunday and thought about how Christians appear online as a divided group from their politics to their stance on border security and the refugee issue. We can agree on one thing: Jesus is the only way. We disagree on the methods, but you’d be surprised at the unity that DOES happen behind the scenes.
For instance, the pastors in the church in our area get together and pray almost every week. Missions organizations work together to help in real world issues. Countless volunteers work every week at their local churches to provide food, clothes, and manual labor to these nonprofits to benefit their church and community.
If you need to vent about church, talk to a friend in private. A group of strangers of more than 25 people online or a vent on social media to countless people isn’t harmless. When I am even tempted to get angry online, I think of these people who volunteer quietly, humbly, and who have positively impacted my life. That’s when the hurt or anger ebb and I realize that church is the family of God, not a building. We are a dysfunctional bunch! Without these great people, I wouldn’t be who I am today. Those faithful people who do the hard work, study the Bible, and call people in their time of need are the unrecognized heroes of the faith in our day and age, and this includes pastors and their wives.
Yeah, this is my family. My community!