“I love the church.” That is true. It should be true. Jesus died for “the church.” If we do not love the church, we should examine our theology.
But my love for “the church” is not the subject of this article. It is more specific than that. Recently, my church—the church of which I am a member and also a pastor—took a day to express appreciation for our pastors. It was a simple, but a meaningful expression of gratitude for those who labor in the work of the Gospel.
As I was reading through dozens of hand-written notes, I noticed a few generic phrases of appreciation; but overwhelmingly people wrote brief, but specific reasons they were thankful for my wife and me. The words were kind and candid, and they were personal.
The notes also reminded me of how important it is to communicate gratitude. To be grateful is a good, but to say “thank you” is better. Thanksgiving is not only a blessing to the one receiving thanks, but it is a sanctifying work for the one offering it.
By the way, as important as it is that church members express gratitude for their pastors, it may be more important for pastors to express love and loyalty to the church they serve. So let me take a cue from my church and say “thank you” to her. At the risk of creating a public love-fest, I want offer five specific reasons I love “my church”—the local fellowship of Christians called Green Hill Church.
We show grace.
I know. That sounds generic, but it is not. Churches can affirm grace without doing much about it. Over the last three years I have watched dozens of church members extend grace to one another and to perfect strangers through acts of service, generosity, and words of encouragement. I have watched our people go out of their way to give of their time and talents to people who could never return the favor and who may never follow Jesus. And I have watched people who know they have been forgiven much look over offenses and extend grace to others even through tears. Most personally, my church has extended grace to me by giving me a wide berth to learn the ropes and to lead according to my convictions. Legalism and traditionalism kill churches every day, but thanks be to God, my church lives out his amazing grace.
We stay eager.
The poet Alexander Pope said, “Hope springs eternal,” but hope in hope is not enough. Instead, we follow Jesus together with a deeply rooted expectation that he will build his church. We pray, give of ourselves, and go to our neighbors and to the nations with an enthusiasm rooted in the promises of God. Green Hill Church began in 1900. After 115 years, it would be easy to think we have learned everything we need to know and done everything we need to do, but that is not the attitude of my church. We still have much to do. Our calling is as fresh as ever. So we are full of people who keep following Jesus, who keep growing in God’s Word, and who keep serving others with a contagious joy and gladness of heart.
We live tough.
That could be a slogan for four-wheel drive truck, or a heavy-duty trash bag, or even a football team. But it is also true for my church. I know the building looks nice, the grass is cut, and things are in order when you arrive on Sunday, but ministry is blue-collar work. We shine the light into dark places. We offer hope into hopeless situations. We meet up at the crossroads of sin and righteousness. And quick victory is not always the outcome. As a result, churches go through seasons of pain, seasons of challenge, and seasons of change. Distractions and discouragement can creep up without notice, but Green Hill has trusted God and stayed tough through every season.
We practice love.
In John 17, Jesus prayed his disciples would love each other so that the world would believe him. Jesus knew that his reputation depended on how his followers loved each other. And it seems Jesus prayed for this because he knew it would not come naturally. We can all agree with that. Loving one another can be difficult, but what I love about my church is that we keep practicing. We are very human. We are diverse. But we wrap our arms around each other for the sake of the Gospel. Love is more than an affection of the heart; it is a daily practice of our lives, and the Green Hill faith family embodies that every day of the week.
We take risks.
There is much to love about Green Hill Church, but as a pastor I have grown to admire our willingness to trust God and do whatever He calls us to do in this generation. Sometimes it is pastors who look for new adventures and are willing to take risk while the church remains cautious or risk-averse. But it is just the opposite at Green Hill. The church encourages our pastors to go for it, to think bigger, to look beyond the challenges, and to lead with courage. That attitude inspires me and encourages me to trust God to do more than any of us could ask or think.
I do love the church. Biblical theology puts the church in the center of God’s redeeming purpose in the world. But a love for the church is never void of a love for the local church—a fellowship of Christians who join together for the sake of the Gospel. I not only love the church, but for all the reasons I have shared, as well as a few others, I love my church and thank God that I am numbered among the Green Hill family.
I would love to hear why you love your church. Just click the Comment button below, and brag away.