"You don’t
have to be a Christian long to feel disappointed by Christian community.
Our high
expectations are understandable. The church is the body and bride of Christ (Ephesians
1:22–23; 5:25–27),
heaven’s earthly outpost (1 Peter 2:9), God’s cosmic stage for showcasing his wisdom
(Ephesians
3:10). But when we look at our own community — our local church or small
group — the reality can seem to fall so short. We expected the friendships
would be deeper. We hoped the people would be more welcoming. We thought the
pastor would remember our name.
Sometimes,
to be sure, we feel disappointed with our community because something is
fundamentally wrong. We attached ourselves to a sick body, and then we caught
the virus. Now, it’s time for us to recover
somewhere else. But often, my own disappointments with Christian community
have sprung from my unrealistic expectations. I walked into a church expecting
to find an unblemished bride, and instead I found a wife-in-progress."
Read the entire article by Scott Hubbard here at Desiring God Ministries.
Picture used by permission from Pixabay.
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