My Ideal Church

As a pastor I sometimes find myself daydreaming about my ideal church.  A church where suffering and sin don't have such a profound impact everyday.  Where when the phone goes it isn't news of a loss, a bereavement, a miscarriage, a marriage breakup or breakdown.  Where the families of those I am privileged to care for are not continually being ravaged by suffering.  Where no-one drifts but everyone is pressing on for the prize and engaged in evangelism out of an overflow of love for Christ.  Where we are all united around the primary issues and lovingly bear with one other on secondary issues where we differ.  Where there is no such thing as friendly fire.  Where people don't drift or grow cold or hard to the gospel.

As I've been thinking about it I think some of that is good.  Some of that longing is a desire for Christ to come again and for his church to be perfected and secure in his kingdom come.  Some of that desire is because we hate to see people we care about suffer.  Some of it is because we long to see people grow in their appreciation of and love for the gospel.

But some of it reveals an idolatry in myself.  A desire for a church that is easy to pastor, for people who don't need so much care and love, a longing for comfort and ease.  A longing to be liked and respected and valued.  Maybe mixed in there is also a bit of reputation idolatry - if church was like that what would it say about my ministry?  What would others conclude?

The reality is that ministry in a broken world will always be reflective of life in a broken world.  Sin impacts the church and those who are in it.  But I am reminded again and again in God's word that Christ is enough, enough for life, enough for loss, enough for ministry in the midst of each and everyone one of those.  Each loss needs to drive me away from self reliance - upon my skills, my experience, my ability to love - and to Christ who will supply all my needs.  Each criticism is to wean me from pride and remind me that I am to labour for his well done not peoples.  Each division is to drive me to pray that by the Holy Spirit God opens eyes and ignites hearts again to the wonder of the gospel of his Son.