Love Your Church

Loving Your ChurchEphesians 1:15-16 " For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers."

This is a message for Pastors today, because it shows that Paul commends the church for its love for the saints. Now if Paul says he is thankful that they love 'the sainted', ('hagios' is an adjectival noun, identifying the saints as those whom an action of God has made holy) doesn't it follow that Paul and we who bear his mantle are also to nurture a love of the Church? we should love the church, because they love by the presence of Christ. Their love is Jesus being manifest in our church walls. Shouldn't we be thankful for that?

But how few of us do so! A recent survey says that 79% of UMC pastors believe that cliques and power groups have too much influence in their church. The same survey shows a third of laypeople believing their church needs a new pastor if it is to survive.

Not too much thankfulness there.

There are some unpleasant characters in the pews and pulpits, but notice Paul's passion for the faithful. "Giving thanks is a present active participle, which shows continous action, he gives thanks and doesn't stop. The word, 'eucharisteo' is a combination of eu-(good) and 'Charis" (grace). This is the expression of someone who doesn't feel he deserves the blessing for which he is presently giving thanks.

How many of the 79% listed above would you guess will say that they don't deserve their church?

We need to have an attitude of thankfulness and open eyes toward the faithfulness and love that is in the Body of Christ.

Love the Church, Harley Wheeler