"Churchin'"

How you do your churchin,

Is really up to you,

Led by the Holy Spirit,

To get it right, it’s true.

Why can’t we just appreciate,

How others might be led,

Tryin’ to get the word out,

Share what the Bible said.

Instead of always finding fault,

With the music or the plan,

Why not see there’s not one way,

For the Good Lord’s fire to fan.

There’s cowboy church and non-denom,

And traditional main-line,

There’s charismatic all the way,

And all sorts of other kinds.

I know it’s only Jesus,

Who can save, heal and forgive,

But if we are not careful,

They’ll see the way we live.

A-snipin’ and a-fightin’,

And a-judgin’ one and all,

And they are turned off by it,

And can’t hear Jesus’ call.

Let’s learn to love each other,

And cut believers slack,

So maybe when some come to church,

They might want to come back.

The church is like a hospital,

Exists to heal the sick,

They might start in the ER,

‘Cause they need help so quick,

They might end up in ICU,

When the need is great,

We have to focus on the chance,

For salvation cannot wait.

And if some do it better,

For the young or the extreme,

Don’t put ‘em down for trying,

If you know what I mean.

The Lord will use the willing,

Even if we disagree,

And faithfully anoints them,

And does not check with me.

So let’s do the Great Commission,

And connect with those in need,

Share the love of Jesus,

And plant the gospel seed.

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, NIV)

If we were more focused on obeying the Great Commission of Jesus, maybe we would find less time and inclination to criticize how others are trying to do it. How utterly contradictory it is to be a religious fault-finder rather than a searcher for lost souls who need Jesus. During the Super Bowl recently we saw commercials that talked about Jesus. These were brief scenarios that illustrated something Jesus said or did. We loved them! But the critics quickly followed with all sorts of posts that discredited the effort. It’s the same spirit that finds something wrong with the music, the order of worship, or how the preacher preaches. I realize some people are into unbiblical teaching, but sometimes I think the Lord just looks at our pettiness and shakes His head.

Lord, help us love one another and get on with the great commission, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tim Cox, used by permission. Thanks, Tim, and God bless you.