Ironic, i suppose. or something

Yes, here it is after midnight, and I am still tossing and turning with thoughts about our congregational meeting this past Sunday. Certainly there was some good discussion, and I was glad to see so many people turn out to discuss things of the church... But as I tried to drift off to sleep tonight there were just so many disturbing thoughts that kept coming to mind.

It troubles me that just a week ago the Sunday message had been over the need to concentrate more on being a disciple-making church. We used Harold Percy's 'Maintenance or Mission' as a guide... Twelve points that help evaluate whether we're just concerned about trying to maintain the organization, or whether we really do care about participating in God's mission. Saturday we had a great day of reaching out to the homeless and needy. Then this Sunday we had a great message from Joan on the beauty of how her organization plants churches with a disciple-making focus. But then at the meeting all we did was hear complaints about who got to pick out the new carpet, why certain rooms weren't re-done, why we were spending money on this or that, and how the pastor gets paid too much. On top of that there was just a general ungratefulness directed towards the church leadership in general.

Not one person bothered to thank the leaders of the church for the time and effort they put forth on behalf of everyone else. Not one person asked why we aren't better at making disciples. No one asked how they can help more. There was no concern over the lack of baptisms, or a desire for more Bible study, or trying to think of ways we could reach more people with the Good News of Jesus...

I know that's just how it goes, but... really? Truth be told, we are an ungrateful and misguided bunch of malcontents who should be ashamed of ourselves, if anything. And I include myself right along with them. We should be falling on our faces before God asking for mercy; begging him to be patient with us as we learn to love him and love one another; seeking forgiveness and repenting of our cold, heartless, self-centered ways.

Honestly, I don't mean to sound critical of my church. If the finger points anywhere it points at me first. We have much we should be grateful for. We have much we need to be doing. Bickering about nonsense like this surely grieves God's heart. I pray that he would give us yet another chance; that we might see the err of our ways and seek His face and that tomorrow we would rise up once again as his people; that he might plant a seed of hope in our hearts and compel us to look up and out for ways to be a blessing to others.

I guess... I hope... I pray...