Monday, August 13, 2012

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places


Years ago there was a theme song from a hit television show and the lyrics to that song made a lot of sense.  In fact, they not only made sense they hit the core of who we are.  Now please don’t misunderstand my implications as approving of the show or read too much into my point.  However, read this excerpt of the lyrics. 

“Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got.   Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn't you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see; our troubles are all the same.  You wanna be where everybody knows your name. You wanna go where people know people are all the same; you wanna go where everybody knows your name.

The hit show focused on a secular setting where people would gather to forget about their troubles and share life with one another.  As I see it that is one of the critical components the world is looking for in life.  Therefore, shouldn’t the church be seeking to provide this relational aspect?  Shouldn’t the church be a place where relationships are built on a common foundation of dependency on one another and more importantly on dependency on God?  The church could be the very place to provide a relationally starved world with more than a temporal fix or a momentary place to forget about their problems.  The church should be a place where the hurting comes to find healing.  The church should be the very essence of the place where everybody knows your name and everybody is glad you came! 

How does that happen?  Let me relate it this way.  I was made aware of a gesture of selflessness by one of our church family recently.  Miranda Bowie celebrated her birthday recently.  However, she decided to do something unusual for this particular occasion.  She chose to do an act of random kindness for every year she had been alive.  (If you want to know how many that was you will have to ask her!)  So this special lady set out and chose to encourage, assist, and/or extend some act of kindness to people.  Wow!  Here is the heart of a making a difference in the lives of others.  She could have made this a time when she said, “It’s my birthday!  It’s all about me!”  Instead, she chose to say I want to use this as an occasion to help others. 

If we could approach church with this mentality of making FBC a place where we seek to minister to others, then we are developing a place where people want to come.  We are providing an atmosphere where there is love and acceptance.  That is what a lost and relationship longing world is looking to find. 

I am so thankful that many of you see this and are striving to make this the heart rhythm of FBC.  I love that so many of you at FBC make this a place of acceptance and love.  I love that so many of you at FBC make this a friendly place.  I love that so many of you at FBC make this a place that welcomes people from all walks of life.  That is the essence of relational evangelism.  Church family lets continue to build a great place of worship to our Lord that welcomes all people to worship and grow in Christ. 

Love People Worship Christ,

Pastor Ric,




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