In the first part of this article (see July EN) we were introduced to ‘Sal’, a fictional character whose recent experiences led to her becoming deeply disaffected with the local church.
We also saw how many Christians have shared her pain and at times wondered whether it might be easier to leave rather than love the imperfect church. We went on to suggest a few things it would be useful for people like Sal to hear as they come to terms with life in the imperfect church. Among other things we saw that the local church is a work in progress — a gathering of redeemed sinners who are all at varying levels of maturity. Yet we also saw that despite all its imperfections the church is still central to God’s plans and purposes for our world. Most importantly we were reminded that God is often more patient with his people than we are! With these things in mind we now look at some practical steps we can take as we seek to love rather than leave the imperfect church.
a. Hold the church in high esteem
A good starting point would be to be careful how we think and talk about the church. In an age when it is considered a virtue to be cynical and outspokenly critical towards institutions, we must relearn the art of thinking and speaking generously of the body of Christ. Wouldn’t we be upset if a friend or colleague spoke disparagingly about the appearance of our children or the character of our loved one? How much more is Christ offended when believers excessively put down and despise his body?
