On Choosing a Church

Or "On Choosing a Local Church and Staying There Even When You Realize It's Not Perfect or Even Ideal".

Or simply "Lesson Number 157 I Learned While in West Africa".

We were assigned host churches while we were in E2.  There were a variety of churches we partnered with, and since we E2ers came from a variety of different backgrounds, our experiences in those host churches ran quite the gamut.

It was a struggle for me, especially in the beginning, and to tell the truth, if I'd had the choice I probably would have looked for another church.  I didn't necessarily have the choice, so I stayed, and was encouraged by various people along the way to pray for God's perspective of the Church.

The experience taught me something valuable: we don't get to pick what parts of the Body of Christ we're going to love or be connected to.  Every single believer, every local group of true believers is part of that Body.  And Jesus loves His Church, all of it.  He calls us His bride.

If Jesus looks at that imperfect group of believers, that group I'm tempted to criticize, and sees them with such a great and amazing love, how could I consider them not worth my time?  Too much trouble to bother with?

Perhaps our society had influenced me more than I realized.  Society tells us if something doesn't work the way we want it to, we should find an alternative.  Society tells us that we need to look for things that fit us, that makes us feel comfortable and good.

I don't think we find that in the Word of God.  Take Paul's letters, for example.  He wrote to churches with immorality (think Corinthians), faulty teaching (think Galatians), confusion on certain doctrines (think Thessalonians), and even personal divisions (Corinthians again).  In addressing the various issues, I find it interesting that he never says something like, "Yeah, there are a lot of problems here, so you who are really sold-out for Jesus need to go somewhere else.  Somewhere there aren't so many problems."

Isn't that the advice we hear - and give - so often when people are struggling with issues in their local churches?  To find somewhere else to go?  (Now, to clarify, I'm not talking about essential doctrinal issues, like God's character, the authority of Scripture, the basis of salvation, and things of that nature.)  Except God doesn't seem to be encouraging such a course of action.  It's incongruous with the reality of who the Church is.

I was convicted that my attitude towards the Church - Jesus' Church - was both self-serving and ugly.

(Another clarifier: I'm not saying that everyone who leaves one church for another is necessarily sinning.  God can and does lead us to different places at different times.  But I believe we should be wary of leaving a local church simply because it doesn't meet our expectations or our perceived needs, or because we find issues with it.)

Fast forward to now.  I moved to a new place.  I needed a church.  In the past, I would have spent a fair amount of time and effort to find one I was comfortable with.  Something that met my personal expectations.  Except now I realize the point isn't to feel comfortable.  I'm asking the Lord to help me release my ideals, to love His Church, and to embrace the fellowship of people who are no more imperfect than I am.

There will be challenges of one kind or another, I'm sure.  There will be things we disagree on, personal preferences that differ, and toes that may get stepped on.  But this little group is part of His Church, and that, I think, is what matters in the end.