Wednesday, March 21, 2007

The Church & Positive Blogging

One of the tendencies of blogs is to point out the negative. It is easy to critique things and to criticize. It is easy to armchair quarterback and complain about what could be better. We don't always have good avenues to express our concerns and our pet peaves and so we come and vent. That is just human nature. How about some posts by all of you about what you love and appreciate about the church? Wouldn't it be great to be filled up with stories of victory and stories of things gone right?

I love the church and I am so glad to be a part of it. I love coming to a place where there are people I have more in common with than golf or cars. I love being with people who know that they are a work in progress and who are patient with me in all of my own weaknesses. I love talking about Jesus with people who also love him. I love seeing the lost come and find Jesus and a new lease on life. I love seeing those new Christians reach out to their lost friends and watch the cycle repeat itself. The church may not be perfect but that just reminds us how much we need Christ and his grace and that reminds us to be gracious toward each other. No matter how many things we can bicker and argue about over how things should or shouldn't be, I still love the church.

What do you love about the church?

12 comments:

Milton Stanley said...

Truth. Although we all fall short to some degree, we hold up Jesus Christ, the way, truth, and life. It's a refreshing alternative to the foolishness all around us.

Anonymous said...

That even with our imperfections God receives glory. That the church still exists 2000 years later and will until Christ return.

Frank Bellizzi said...

Nice post, Matt.

Did you happen to see the AP article about the "comments" sections at newspaper websites? The gist is that people are much more likely to gripe and be ugly when they are anonymous. No surprise. Even mature Christians are much more likely to get testy on-line than they would face-to-face. Is this an issue as early as the letters of Paul? Either way, the Internet takes quick-and-ugly to a new low.

Anyway . . . It's been such a blessing for me see people, over time, growing in Christ to the point that one would hardly recognize them anymore; and to know that the same God who brought about such radical change in them is my God too; and to think that maybe the same kinds of things were happening in me; and that, best of all, the same God was being honored by his good work in us.

Something else I love about the church is worship. I especially love singing's way of deepening and bringing out of us the good things that God has given. We had an especially good worship leader at the Church of Christ in Wallingford, CT, and a good worship space too. Sometimes I didn't want to get up and preach. I wanted to keep on singing, not to mention that our praise was a "tough act to follow."

Thanks for encouraging us to think about things that are worthy of praise.

Anonymous said...

I needed this today, Matt. Thanks for helping us to focus on the positive.

*I love that you can meet up with Christians around the country and find several mutual friends you have in common.

*I love the singing too.

*I love fellowship meals.

*I love our church's focus on the campus ministry. I love that we can support the college students and help them grow ... and in turn their service and growth encourage us. It's a great cycle!!

*I love our elders -- they are a great source of strength and encouragement for me personally and they are always aware of people who need more encouragement.

Thanks for letting us share, Matt!

Mark said...

Thanks for this, Matt. I'm glad I'm not the only one who's still very glad to be a church-going Christian. I love the community. I love having ties with people all over the world. I love taking communion, thinking that there are millions of people from around the world who have participated in that same feast every Lord's Day for nearly 2,000 years. I love being a part of something bigger than myself and more important than myself. I love that I am not merely wasting my life away, hording up "stuff" that will eventually rot or be wasted. I love having something worth striving for. I love that I'm a better person because of my involvement in the church.

You're right, we have too much negative stuff floating around. I meet people all the time that make me very optimistic about the church's future.

Mark <><

TREY MORGAN said...

Preach on brother ... I'm on your side on this one. AMEN AMEN!

Matt said...

Thank you all. That is just music to my ears! Keep them coming!

Neva said...

I love being the bride of Christ.
I love that He is coming back to get us.
I love that life here is just a breath and then we get to live with Him forever and ever---happily ever after, guaranteed.

Thank you, Matt
Peace
neva

Anonymous said...

It made me smile when you said "music to my ears." You're so awesome, Matt!!

Adam Gonnerman said...

Matt,

This is a challenge to me, and the fact that it is difficult to find the positive reveals a lot about my perspective. The only good things I can think of are the fellowship (though my experience of this has largely not been positive) and the changed lives.

I'm going to have to think about this.

Steve Puckett said...

See my buddy Greg England's blog today. He highlights things he has learned in 30 years of ministry. One I especially liked: No one has ever erected a monument to a critic.

www.gregengland.com

Thanks for your positive attitude, Matt. Hope to see you next month at the Holy Land Experience.

Peace.

Matt said...

Steve,

I should be there. I am really looking forward to it!

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