The Church Issue

I am convinced that there are few places more difficult to work than the church. Now I’m sure that many of you will not appreciate that statement, and may even condemn me for it but hear me out on this one if you will, then if you disagree, I wont mind.
If you look back to the times of Jesus you see that the biggest troublemakers of the time are indeed those who work in the church. Quick to judge, overly proud, jealous, yearning for power, greedy… all of this they directed towards the Savior who was the opposite of the church of His day and at the same time WAS the church. He was never without trouble from those who claimed to be waiting for Him and serving the Father.
So little has changed in all these years. As I look back on the churches I have attended and worked with I find that many (though not all by far) have faced similar problems. I have seen churches split multiple times; I have seen pastors forced out or forcing others out. I have heard false accusations and judgment between brothers. In the midst of it all I have played my part and proudly stood to the side in critique and judgment of those ‘involved.’
Now, here in Kenya, I am partnered with a church that breaks my heart at every turn, and I can only wonder how the heart of Christ must feel when He looks at his bride. Here is the situation:
The church of Liter divided itself into two churches. There are a plethora of reasons and excuses for this, most in the form of accusations and personal attacks. For a while they were so pitted against one another they attempted to hold two separate services in the same building, AT THE SAME TIME! They have since chosen to hold separate service times but they seem no closer to resolving their differences, nor do I see either side of the problem with a desire to bring the church together again. There are questions now about what belongs to which church, who is in charge of what, who is stealing money from whom etc. It is indeed a sad time in Liter and the surrounding communities have begun to take notice that this church is no longer the light to the community that it used to be.
I have managed to remain neutral in the conflict, as I came to serve the community and not a specific church. I tend to go in the direction of Christ and prefer to work with the people who are outside of the church entirely… aren’t they the ones who are supposed to need the missionaries?
But then, where is the prophetic voice within the church? Who will stand and speak against the evil that has been allowed to lure the Bride of Christ away from His heart? Will we all continue to listen to the sermons about brotherly love, humility, generosity and repentance, without calling attention to sin that is leading so many of us astray?
I thank God because as I struggle and cry over the church in Liter, He has been faithful to point out my own sin and to draw me daily into a heart of repentance. It is a long process, friends. To have the Lord pull out your file and tell you to empty it before you look into the files of others is challenging and rewarding. “Hello Eye, meet plank.”
Please pray for the church of Liter. Pray with me that they will find a heart of repentance and love. Pray that God will raise up a prophetic voice from among them who can actually break through their hardened hearts (many have tried). Pray that they can come together as one, not that they will simply remain separate yet civil. Pray for me as I continue to work with the church and speak truth slowly and in love. Pray that I can remain neutral and that both parties will respect my neutrality.
Pray for the church as a whole. She may be a mess sometimes but she is the bride of the risen Christ and He is set on perfecting her and bringing her to Himself and we are all to rejoice in her and to build her up, starting with ourselves and never fearing to speak when the spirit stirs us. Pray for your pastors and your leaders. Pray for your Sunday school teachers. Pray for the person sitting next to you on Sunday morning.
The church may be one of the most difficult places to work. Where else but within the body of Christ is sin so easily brought to the surface so that it can be dealt with and tossed into the sea? Yeah, it’s a difficult place to work, but it is also the most rewarding of all places to be. For when that sin is cast into the depths of the sea and the one standing before you, the new convert, the repentant elder, the weeping mother, the face in the mirror, the bride of Christ glows with the light of the Father; that is glory!