I am not ranting or whining in my recent
blog posts about church. I am observant and I am questioning. I do not consider
my assessment to be disrespectful or insolent although it may be marginally
peculiar considering that most of my life has been invested in the organized
church. I actually believe I am entitled, maybe commissioned to interrogate the
church. Why wouldn't I continue to query her today for the sake of Christ. We,
the church, are after all, Christ's bride. As a constituent member of this corporate
persona, I must be concerned about our purity, our mission, our reputation, our
effectiveness.
I am optimistic about Christ's church. I
really am. That's because I already know the end of the story. You can
too. An assembly of persons too numerous
to estimate, comprised of individuals from every country, every tribal group
and linguistic dialect will be attired in white robes as they bow in worship
and unitedly shout, "salvation
belongs both to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" These people
will be those about whom it will be said, they have come through severe
distress and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the
Lamb." It is now metaphoric and it will be a true identification. All the
suffering, hardship and privation of their lives will end as God wipes every
tear from their eyes and satisfies them with what cannot end. We will be among
them, some of the countless sheep for whom Jesus's life was surrendered as
though he was a sacrificial lamb so that he could rebound as the resurrected shepherd
of the entire flock.
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