Bottom Line (3)

Any healthy organism requires checkups from time to time. People go to the doctor and she measures weight, blood pressure, height, cholesterol, and any number of other indicators of overall health.

Church is an organism that has definite indicators of overall health: salvations, baptisms, worship attendance, group/service participation, financial strength.

But, as we've seen this week, the church's primary purpose is lifechange. And that defies easy quantification. Here are some of the challenges attached to this fact:

1. We never arrive. If we don't enjoy the journey, we may not enjoy much, because a destination is elusive.
2. The "finished product" we're called to work toward is out of our hands. It's ultimately the work of the Holy Spirit through us and in spite of us.
3. No matter how focused, diligent, or committed you are, someone will be disappointed or angry.
4. The stakes are overwhelming. The same thing (see yesterday's #1) that makes this worth investing your life can make it overwhelming when you realize the enormity of our task.

NONE of that is woe-is-me poor-mouthing. It's like everything else: The greatest strength is the greatest weakness. And the call of the church--the Bride of Christ holds some unique challenges. But, it's those challenges that remind us that we cannot do this in and of our own power/talent/vision/giftings. It is by his power and for his purposes. Only.

Amen.

Bottom Line (2)

As we said yesterday, churches are similar to businesses ONLY in that we, too, have a bottom line. There, the similarities end. Our bottom line is lifechange: people stepping over the line of faith in Christ and becoming more like him in everything we want, think, say, and do.

With that said, there are some distinct blessings and advantages to engaging in furthering that kind of a bottom line vs. producing a profit:

1. What we do really matters. Eternally. There is no wasted movement or effort when a person's life/spirit/soul/marriage/future is on the line.
2. We see people's brokenness healed/redeemed/fulfilled. Nothing's more fueling than that.
3. We discover the genuine purpose/presence of God.
4. Friendship/Community is built and strengthened around a common purpose that never dies.
5. God is glorified.

What a God-honoring, eternity-impacting kick in the pants to get to be a part of!