So, you came to church on Easter. A…ma…zing! Seriously.
At the tail-end of a pandemic, you had a dozen reasons to sleep in and take a trip to IHOP for brunch. But you didn’t. You showered (that’s no small thing these days!), ironed a shirt, and gave your kids THE speech promising a murder in their sleep if they embarrassed you on this Lord’s day. And you braved the strange world of Easter Sunday.
And maybe you had a good time. Maybe not.
But maybe you did and no one is more surprised by that little fact than you. It turns out not all church people are like Ned Flanders or the creepy tele-evangelist telling you to send in your grocery money cause he needs a new plane. Church people are just like you—fragile, frail, a little insecure. Mostly just aware of their desperate need for God to _________________. You fill in the blank. Rescue. Save. Heal. Restore. Give you a second chance. Third, fourth, fifth chance.
I’ve got my own list that I need God to do for me. Mostly it has to do with putting out the dumpster fire of fragile emotions, my people-pleasing bent, and keeping my internal voice of shame in check. Too much information? Sorry. I do that.
Mostly, church is for people who know they’re not enough; know they will never be enough; who are eager to live well by the power of the Holy Spirit; and alive to a purpose beyond grabbing their little corner of the American dream.
Church is for you. Or it should be.
That’s why I want to invite you back. And with that invitation, let me give you 4 promises that you can take to the bank if you decide to step back into the doors of the gathered church this weekend.
PROMISE #1—It’s gonna be work.
Probably not the first promise you were expecting. But let’s just get this one out of the way. Church is a hard place. It’s a combination of a counseling session, karaoke bar, emergency room, TED talk, and often all the feels you weren’t expecting cause, you know, God shows up in the joint. It’s also work cause it’s filled with some pretty jacked-up people. You and me included.
Promise #2–Someone will let you down.
This can’t be new information to you. In fact, you probably have some history with church and stopped going because, well, someone let you down, didn’t show up, didn’t say the right thing at the right time in the right way. It totally happens. Did I mention there are lots of jacked-up people at church?
Promise #3—It won’t be perfect.
It’s kind of funny how we deceive ourselves. Right? We are deeply aware that people are broken, fractured, and inconsistent. And then our minds are blown when people inside of a church building are broken, fractured, and inconsistent. Let me coach you as you step back in this Sunday. As you get out of your car and begin the scary walk into the church building, say to yourself, “I don’t need perfect today. Just real.”
Promise #4—It is totally and completely worth it.
Going back to church is the hands-down best way you can spend 90 minutes on a Sunday. Church is good. Great in fact. Not cause the music is all that. Or the preacher can tell a nice story. But because you need Jesus to do only what Jesus can do for you.
So this Sunday, get up early, get showered, give your murderous threats to your ingrate children, and give the gathered church another shot. You might be surprised to find how much you enjoy it.
