Church Police

It's one of my least favorite parts of my personality. Maybe it's my role or calling as a Pastor, shepherding the people, or maybe it's be because there's still a bit of legalism running through my veins, or maybe it's because from as soon as I began to follow Jesus I discovered that I began to grow once I started attending every single event the church held. I don't know, but I can't help scanning the pews, satisfied with who I see there, but all the more curious about who I don't see. Vacation? Probably if it's June. Home sick? Well. it's church policy to stay away if you got the greenies. Football? Not if you're a 49ers fan. I haven't been involved with very many churches, only 2 actually, so I have no benchmark to discover the norm, but it seems that a large number of people consider Calvary Chapel Mountain View their home church, but only turn up once every few weeks, or less. This leaves me in the awkward position to ask, "so, where have you been?" This is difficult for a couple reasons. 1. I don't condemn them and don't want them to feel condemned. And 2. Part of my flesh wants our church to be larger, and if everybody who calls CCMV "home" turned up on the same Sunday, we'd probably be bursting at the seems. But it's an important question, despite all my personality quarks. The church is Jesus' hands and feet here on Earth and we need to be on mission as His hands and feet together. If we're not altogether very often it'd be like walking around without one shoe. The reality is that as a church, we suffer without you. You have unique gifts, personalities, and callings that can be used to bless us. In turn our mission to equip the saints for the work of the ministry will fail if there are no saints to equip. It's a two way street and I really believe that we will all suffer if people decide to not set roots, plug in, and show up. Obviously we all have a zillion things going on, and we all do not need to be there every single Sunday. But what I am saying is that it should be a priority on Sunday morning. For your benefit, and for ours.

"And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, asis the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

Hebrews 10:24-25