I received this message the other day from a church member:
I walked with [a non-church member] yesterday and we were talking about single mothers battling financially. I mentioned that we have single moms in our church and I don’t know how people do it without a church, because we’re able to meet the needs of our sisters. And she said, “I have heard through a few channels about the generosity of your church.” She also said, “That says a lot about how your people know each other.”
The message was meant to encourage me. It did. It should encourage all of us.
As I pondered this message, I thought of Paul’s encouraging words about the testimony of the loving generosity of the churches in Macedonia: “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia” (2 Corinthians 8:1–2). One of those Macedonian churches was in Thessalonica, of whose faithful and loving obedience Paul happily wrote, “You became an example to all the believers in Macedonia…. Your faith in God has gone forth everywhere” (1 Thessalonians 1:7–8). Though, of course, we do not serve one another in order to promote ourselves, nevertheless good news does travel, to the glory of God.
Brackenhurst Baptist Church is not without our faults. We are not immune from sin. We sometimes hurt one another with our words and actions. Our sins of omission can at times be as painful as our sins of commission. Sometimes, though usually unintentionally, needs fall through the proverbial cracks and are left unmet. Church members undergoing difficult times can feel like they are invisible to those around them. And, of course, sometimes church members are guilty of treating the body of Christ with indifference and/or contempt. And yet, this is not the norm at BBC. Rather, I am persuaded that the observation by the above walking outsider is indicative of who we are, by the grace of God, as a church family.
There are times when, as a church member, you might feel so lonely, hurt, dismissed, or neglected that you look for greener grass elsewhere. I get that. I have been there. Sometimes I’ve been tempted to move on. But as someone has wisely commented, “If you choose to move to someplace where you think the grass is greener, realise that even there you will still have to mow the lawn!” That’s pretty good.
I am grateful to be a member of a church that cares about its membership. I am grateful that, though there is work to be done towards every member coming to appreciate the privileges and responsibilities of church membership, nevertheless our members are a blessing to each other.
This message sent to me this week is something to hang onto when we are tempted to despair about church life. Remembrances of reality are helpful when tempted to despair. When you are feeling lonely, perhaps unappreciated, or even neglected in the church, it may prove helpful to do some work of remembrance.
For example, remember those times when someone reached out to you with a kind word or with the knowledge they have been praying for you. Remember the meal(s) that was (were) provided as a labour of love in your time of need. Remember the coffee date with a member who wanted to check in with you. Remember the anonymous envelope that met a pressing need. Remember the hug of warm fellowship when you arrived at church one Sunday (that is, remember Chad!). Remember the funeral service of your loved one that was attended by concerned believers. And along with all of this, remember what your fellow church member experienced on her walk the other day. Remember that the love of Brackenhurst Baptist Church is more than mere words, but that our love also has hands and feet.
Finally, as we remember the love of the body of Christ for us, let such remembrances move us to be sensitive to those who might be feeling neglected, unappreciated, or uncared for. And then reach out with any or all of the above as a way to say, “I care.” But, most importantly, do so in order to remind them that Jesus cares (1 Peter 5:7). He does, you know.
Doug