Church is a negative!

Following on from the 'I love God but hate Church' post I have to write a little more about 'Church', that all-embracing, much-vilified bunch of money-grabbing hypocrites.

I was recently privileged to meet someone who was in a very privileged position in that they work at Westminster. As we spoke about the needs in the community we seek to serve a third voice pointed out the involvement of our happy crew in each of them.

Christmas came up and so to did the fact that the Christians in our town supported and fed forty-eight people on Christmas Day in the shape of a 'Don't be Home Alone this Christmas' lunch! Homelessness came up and many areas of support, care and provision came to the fore. Mental health - yes, the Church was there too! Supporting children and families, Foodbank, Child protection conferences, interventions, restorative justice and a host of other issues came into view and each and every time, whose hands were firmly and effectively, on the ball?

Of course it was the Church!

When people say the Church is self-serving, focussed only on money, hypocritical all I can say in it's defence is that whilst you will find some flawed and even awful people in the church, the party is still fantastic and rather than let the minority ruin it - look at the majority and enjoy being in it and be proud of all that it is and does!

If you are following Christ then you're of course a Christian.
If you are a Christian then you are also Church. Simple isn't it?

So if you aren't happy with what you see in the public face, in the words or actions of the hierarchy of Church - then make a stand and make your point as an individual, with others, with your church, your Deanery, presbytery, circuit and then go wider until people listen and changes are made. Don't let a few get in the way of the reality that Church is, was, and always has been the only hope for many in our nation and others around the world! So don't deny it!

Thank you God for Church!