A Fresh Look at the Church

I am fascinated by the church. It is a beehive of activity, mostly because it is the intersection of people's lives. Lives are being lived out from birth to death in the midst of this weekly gathering of folks. Cancer, births, deaths, successes, minor concerns, major debacles - all come together in one place. They include the young and the old, the graceful and the ham-handed, the mature and the young in the faith, the hopeful and the downtrodden - all coming together to share the commonality of life in Jesus Christ. This week I have talked to cancer patients, young and old; I have shared with those serving in Iraq and getting ready to return to the War; I spoke to those going through the devastation of Katrina and those getting ready to go and help with the cleanup; I spoke with some who are struggling with personal and family problems and with those looking forward to having a family or a family addition; I listened to laughter and sadness; hope and confusion; prayers and dreams. All that in one week.
Ever since I got back from Sabbatical it has been a whirlwind of activity. Meetings to attend, decisions to be made, people to recruit, training to be done. If you don't like people, you won't like ministry in any form. But if people energize you and fascinate you - then you will love ministry. Tomorrow I will be attending a meeting of ministers from around the Valley to talk about Hispanic Ministry and starting Hispanic Churches. With the addition to our staff of a Hispanic Pastor and his vision to start a new church using our facilities, we are really hyped to take an in-depth look at Hispanic Ministry. We have such a diverse area that we live in and such a diverse ethnic city in Fresno, that having a Hispanic Ministry is almost vital to our ability to reach out to the whole community. It is creating a fresh new look at the church and at Kingdom building.
How do you view the church? Is it colored by the struggles you have been through? (I've been there) Or can you see the church with a new view, a new insight, a new perspective? The church is new every morning. Each generation adds to and changes the dynamic of the ministry it shares in that moment. Take a fresh look at the church. You may find it is more amazing than you first thought.