Church: Why Bother? - Part 1

Chanced upon a book by Philip Yancey in Borders today. Of course everybody knows Yancey is a great author and had been given various awards for his works. Actually, it was the title that caught my eye and stirred my interest.





The title: "Church: Why Bother? " It is the same question which I have been asking lately. I wonder why ... perhaps.. it's because of several people I know that asked themselves the same question?

In his conclusion, Yancey said that the church is the way God has chosen to be present on earth, as imperfect as it may be. He wrote:

"Yes, the church fails in its mission and makes serious blunders precisely because the church comprises human beings who will always fall short of the glory of God. That is the risk God took. Anyone who enters the church expecting perfection does not understand the nature of that risk or the nature of humanity. Just as every romantic eventually learns that marriage is the beginning, not the end, of the struggle to make love work, every Christian must learn that church is also only a beginning."

We are all imperfect people and it is not reasonable to expect others in the church to be perfect or "a bit more" perfect than ourselves.

As an illustration of what others may see through the church:
Just as when we watch our kids perform a musical special for Mother's Day service, we do not expect the presentation to be perfect and slick. We enjoyed just as much despite all the imperfections, because it was a great moment for us to watch them doing what they love and singing to someone they love.