Over the years there have been numerous people come and go
through the doors of MVC. Of course, there are times when a person’s leaving
was not such a bad thing. But, I would be lying if I said that it doesn’t hurt
when some of them chose to leave. And it’s especially painful when that person
is a long-time friend. How are you supposed to respond when someone you love
comes to you, or sends you an impersonal email or voicemail that says, “We’ve
been praying about it and have decided that we’re not going to be a part of MVC
any longer.” And usually, the notification is followed by an explanation like,
“We feel that the church isn’t offering enough of this…” Or, “The church has
too much emphasis on this area and not enough emphasis on what we like.” Then
at other times, the explanation is, “Someone said something to me that made me
feel slighted.” Or, “I was out of church for two weeks and no one seemed to
notice. Nobody bothered to call and check on me.” What about all the years of
fruitful ministry that took place in that person’s life up to that point? What
about all the friends and relationships that were formed? What about the nights
spent together praying and supporting each other through the sickness or even
death of a family member? What about the celebrations – baptisms, salvations,
weddings, anniversaries, and other significant happenings in life? Don’t any of
those things matter any longer? The other day I was eating breakfast with my
mentor in a small restaurant nearby where we meet almost every Tuesday morning.
Over the years, the food and service have been excellent. We have made many
friends and enjoyed many a plate of gravy, biscuits, and cheese and bacon
omelets. But on this particular morning, the service was poor, the waitress
wasn’t very friendly, and the food was cold when it arrived at our table. Not
only that, but the daily special had changed from the cheese and bacon omelet
to a Southwestern omelet. I left the restaurant that day thinking, “I’m not
coming back here anymore! This place stinks! I can’t believe I was treated so
rudely and had to eat cold gravy! I also had to pay more for the meal I usually
enjoyed at the special price.” After a while of steaming, however, I was
reminded of all the good times. Was I going to let one bad experience
overshadow all the years of happy times I had experienced there? How could I
possibly give more weight to that one morning than all the other mornings of
good food and great service? The bottom line was – I couldn’t. I was back the
next Tuesday and I’ll be back there tomorrow, enjoying biscuits, gravy and a
cheese and bacon omelet. I have great friends there that are more important
than one bad morning and I’m a loyal customer. Sometimes I feel like church
members act like disgruntled customers. Just one bad morning and it’s out the
door. That leaves me wondering if we sometimes would choose to have more
loyalty to a restaurant than we have to our faith family. There’s no doubt that
if you come to MVC for more than a couple of times, you’re going to be disappointed.
There will be things said and done that you won’t agree with. The church isn’t
perfect because we’re made up of imperfect people. But don’t let a few bad
experiences overshadow all the great experiences you’ve had over the years.
Church is important. It’s the vehicle God has chosen for His people and the plan
He has for shining the light of hope into a dark and fallen world. The Church
is the bride of Christ and He gave His life for Her redemption. So the next
time you’re tempted to quit because of something that has happened, let that
experience draw you closer to God instead of pushing you out of the church. And
remember that none of us are perfect – and that includes you.
