It’s popular to bash the church.
I’ve seen stories of minor inconveniences or misunderstandings in the church posted on social media. Within minutes, there are numerous likes and a litany of attacks about how awful the church is. In our culture, being judgmental is considered a major sin, unless you are judging the church. Then, there are no boundaries and nothing is unfair.
The church has certainly done things worthy of critique. Awful deeds have been committed in the name of Christ under the banner of the church. Cover-ups, abuses, manipulations, and other grievances fill the headlines, and all too many of those stories are found to be true.
Yet, throughout Scripture, we see that the church is God’s plan. Imperfect as she is, she is the very Bride of Christ in whom he takes delight.
It’s certainly right to call out times when the church is acting in ways contrary to Christ, but we must be equally as willing to display the thousands of ways in which she is beautiful. Heroic acts of faithfulness, stories of self-sacrifice, and ministry to the most vulnerable among us happen everyday through God’s people, yet such stories often go untold and don’t garner headlines.
That’s why I’m thankful for the opportunity to contribute to Broken But Beautiful, the latest book published by Gospel-Centered Discipleship (GCD). This book is a compilation of several writers sharing stories about the beauty they have seen and experienced in God’s church. As reflected by the title, this doesn’t negate the fact that there can be problems in the church, yet focuses on the fact that Christ continues to wash his bride with the water of the word and prepare her for that great wedding feast! If you are looking for an encouraging read that will stir you to love the church more like Christ, take and read this book!
Broken But Beautiful will be released on January 28, and can be purchased it at the GCD website or on Amazon. You can also pre-order the Kindle version here.
