Community of Faith or Community of the Elite?

  Somewhere along the line churches got the wrong idea that Christianity is for “nice” people. We dress nice, we act nice, we speak nice, we drive nice cars, our Sunday school teacher is nice – we even like our buildings to be in nice neighborhoods. People that aren’t so nice need not apply.

  Ask yourself a question and answer it honestly: if a person in old dirty clothes walked into your church, would you greet them? Would you even speak to them? My guess is we would avoid them like the plague, hoping they would go somewhere else – or just go away. I heard of a pastor who one Sunday morning dressed like a bum, poured liquor all over himself and went out to the front steps of the church building and laid down before anyone else arrived. As people arrived no one spoke to him or went over to see how he was doing. What they did do was call the police. When the police arrived to arrest the “bum” he identified himself as the pastor. After some awkward moments the police left and the pastor went in to preach his sermon about ministering “to the least of these”. After worship, the church leaders met and promptly fired the pastor – for publicly embarrassing them.

  I wish I could say this story was apocryphal to illustrate a point, but unfortunately, it is true. The community of faith had become the community of the elite – socially unacceptable need not apply. Have you become one of God’s uppercrust? If so, get on your knees and ask for forgiveness.

  Jesus told a story (Matthew 25) of God separating the faithful and unfaithful – sheep and goats. People ask the Lord when they saw him hungry, naked, ill and in prison. His response is crystal clear – “Anything you did for one of my brothers here, however humble, you did for me.”

  He goes on to condemn those who did not respond – “A curse is upon you; go from my sight to the eternal fire that is ready for the devil and his angels.” Not everyone who cries out “Lord, Lord” will enter into the joy of the Father.

  Are you part of a community of faith – or a community of the Elite. It might be worth your time to think about it.

- Pastor Mark