Choosing a Church, Part Deux

A few weeks back, I wrote about the idea that in today’s church climate, people migrate from congregation to congregation in search of better teaching, fresh fellowship or new opportunities to serve. I said that staying in a church just because you’ve always attended there, or your ancestors did isn’t good enough. However, there are times when it’s good to go back to the place where you have roots because — and then I used this phrase — “you are invested in their lives and they are invested in yours.”

Assuming there are still people there who “knew you when” and that they are still interested in what God’s doing in your life (and you, reciprocally) it’s a valid criteria to even consider returning there at another part of your journey. Today I want to introduce a second criteria.

At the church I visited* on Sunday no particular invitation was given, but at the start of the closing chorus a woman went forward and stood at the front. A few verses later a man went forward, knelt down and started praying. Then this phrase hit me: “a place where you can be comfortable being broken.”

Many times the choice of a church home is made when things are going along relatively well, but then you find yourself in a place of need. Is this a church where you can exist in those desert places in your life? A place where you’re not afraid to ask someone (or everyone) will you pray for me? And a place where others are comfortable asking you to do the same?

This is church the way it should be: bearing one another’s burdens, confessing faults one to another; when one hurts we all hurt. It’s not a place for perfect people, but a place where we come in our brokenness and then give that to God with the encouragement of brothers and sisters who can empathize because they’ve been there, too.  Or are there.

“A place where you can be comfortable being broken;” think about it!

*Visited isn’t the right word, because this is a place where I have roots. Currently, I find myself alternating between two congregations. The Body of Christ can’t be contained in a single building. When you have spiritual family in various places, they don’t mind it when you crash!