Although I am speaking about LOVE in part III of this series on the challenges of building a diverse church – NOTHING is more important than good ol’ fashioned love.
Most churches ask, "Doesn’t it go without question that a church should be loving to all people?" While it should
go without question – love in church is often like love in a marriage -
sometimes it’s there, but often it’s not. In spite of what Vanessa Hudgens says, love is not always easy. It takes effort and has to be on purpose.
I once heard a staff member at Mosaic in Los Angeles say that being really intentionally loving to all people was the main reason they have such a diverse community of faith. Want a definition for what this means? Here you go…
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy.
Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude;
It is not self-seeking, nor easily angered.
It keeps no record of wrongdoing.
It does not delight in evil,
But rejoices in the truth.
It always protects, trusts, hopes, and preserves.
There is nothing love cannot face;
There is no limit to its faith, hope, and endurance.
In a word, there are three things that last forever:
Faith, hope, and love;
But the greatest of them all is love.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
We all have moments/opportunities everyday to show love.
Whether it’s a smile, a gesture, or a word, we all have a chance.
What do we do when that moment happens?
Shaun, I gave a talk on this subject, “In All That You Do and Say, First Show Love” back in early June. As I searched scripture for my talk, I was immediately led to the “Love Scripture” 1 Cor. 13, and I pondered it as never before. Jesus’ very existence was a result of the love Father God has toward us. How can the Church continue to refer to itself as “Christian (Christ-like)” if that attribute that is the most important, LOVE, is not at the forefront? Our love for others must be INTENTIONAL! After all, Jesus IS LOVE!
Hey Min. Toni,
I hope that you are doing very well. I think one of the reasons so many people are turned off to the church today is because the church has taken love for others for granted. Jesus IS Love indeed and all that we do should reflect that.
Have you seen the “Guiding Questions” for our church plant @ http://www.Courageous.tv? One of our questions is, “How Does This Express Love?”
-Shaun & Crew