Come As You Are

Has anyone but me noticed that the church is one of the most judgemental places you can go?
Has anyone noticed that instead of welcoming a late person to church, they are shunned?
Has anyone noticed that instead of accepting people no matter if their hair is green or if they're in a tee shirt and jeans, they're looked down upon because they're not "dressed right"?
Has anyone noticed that churches in general focus on everything but saving and nurturing our members?

We focus on numbers, on dress, on money, on status. Not just social status, but status and rank in the church is very very important to us. How many mission trips you've been on, how many "unknown" chores you do around the church. We even focus on how many people we can save, but don't focus on their hearts to 1) make sure they're really saved and 2) make sure they are nurtured after salvation.

Does anyone realize, the church is the EXACT OPPOSITE of EVERYTHING Jesus wanted it to be. Now, don't get me wrong, there are really amazing God-filled churches out there. But sadly, they are very rare.

My mother and I were talking about this the other day, and she said, "Church should be like an AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meeting. If someone walks in late, they're welcomed warmly, because everyone knows they might not have come."

Jesus said come as you are. And to be the body of Christ, we are to accept people as they are. And further more ENCOURAGE people to be as they are.

Jesus can use people in jeans and tees to reach other people in jeans and tees. Jesus can used green haired people to reach purple haired people. God can use dressed up people to reach people who like to dress up.

Come as you are.

I came to church a few Sundays ago with pink and purple hair, and the comment "Laine needs help" was left on the prayer list. If we are all cloned people 1) our "body" won't work and 2) can you imagine anything more condesending and uninviting to a newcomer to see that the whole church is one huge clique?

We need to get away from our comfort zones of "everyone should be like me" and adventure into the world of Jesus. Invite people to come as they are. Maybe then, our churches would actually be, well, churches.