Finding a Church

I read a book,
a very good book,
not too long ago,
about the Church in North Korea and China.
It's on Kindle and paperback...you should read it.
It's called The Beloved Daughter by Alana Terry

And after reading this story
I recognize
the incredible luxury it is
to be able to shop for a church.

I sense my own entitlement issues
when I talk about what I want in a church,
what I need,
what our family needs.

I recognize how I judge,
how I lack humility,
when talking about the churches we visit.

I can't even believe I used the word "shop"
when describing looking for a church.

But I did.
Because that's often what it feels like.
We are shopping.
And we are entitled to have exactly what we want.
And we will look until we find it.

Oh, the Church.
Made up of imperfect people,
messy people
who mess up in a messy world.

People just like me.

And so,
as we look for a church to call home in our new city,
I'm convicted to approach any church body humbly,
knowing that no church is perfect.
And the only thing I'm really entitled to
is to try and love others well,
in hopes that I will be loved well, too.

Rather than first demanding that a church meet our list of criteria,
we want to see how we can serve in that place.

Then,
we long to be in a place where we are challenged in our faith,
strengthened in our hope,
refreshed in our spirit
in order that our roots will continue to grow down deep.

With humility and a desire to serve,
we seek that place where God would have us be.

This week I'll be writing about finding a church...
What do you think is important when looking for a church?