Something Beautiful

From this week's Chrio e-Newsletter...thoughts from our pastor Richard:

Church. Just say the word out loud and you’re almost guaranteed a reaction. For some the idea of church is about as welcome as eating a bucket of KFC at a vegetarian banquet. Others will gladly regale you with childhood stories of boredom so severe, they’d have gladly swapped their pew for a dentist’s chair or staying after school. And others could break your heart with true experiences of toe-curling judgment, mean-spirited rejection, or foul-smelling hypocrisy. I bet you have your own stories. If you don’t yet, I’m sure you will. I’ve got a few.

But despite it all, I still love the church. I really do. I don’t love it in the way you love your grandma who smells funny but still gives you twenty bucks on your birthday. I love it like a hungry kid and a bag of Cheet-O’s. Like a dog loves a fresh milk-bone. That kind of love.

And I know the church has lots of flaws. Inevitably, churches have people in them, and wherever you find people, you’ll find problems. (Now if we could just get rid of the people, we’d really be onto something, right?) Of course, when I look in the mirror, I find that I, too, am often part of the problem.

But here’s why I still love the church, no matter what. I love it because Jesus does. He uses words like beautiful bride, family, and body of Christ to describe us. He sees us like a proud parent watching their child stumble through “Chop-sticks” on the piano. He knows what the song is supposed to sound like, but He loves us still. And He’s able to make the song beautiful, even when we miss some notes or strike the wrong chord. He’s that big. He’s that good. Not that we shouldn’t keep practicing, keep improving. The song we play together is a work in progress. But it’s a song that still needs to be heard, a chorus we keep inviting others to join.

What makes us so valuable, so indispensable is not how “together” we are. Rather, it’s because of Jesus, the One who loves us, who calls us His own, and who makes out of us something beautiful.

Riding the Rails

Just thought I would share something I wrote for Chrio. In our community, we like to get to know one another. Each week we receive an email with a personalized story from a Chrio member. For my contribution, I talked about riding the train to and from school. Riding the rails continues to be a thought-provoking experience.

In This Issue - October 16, 2009

From Our Chrio Community | The Gathering | Community Opportunities | Thought From Richard | Pray

From Our Chrio Community

Kendra Robert's story on facing unknowns...

Monday through Thursday I take the light rail to ASU’s Tempe campus. Sometimes, the train is quiet; I take one of many empty seats and settle in for an uneventful and peaceful ride. Other times, I’m not so lucky. It can be packed to the brim and I have to stand uncomfortably close to strangers, endure terrible odors and loud, obnoxious conversations. It can also be frightening. Today, two women quickly sprinted past me—I heard yelling—they were running away from a fight. Three young men were squaring off, about ready to really let each other have it. People unable to move away gave fearful looks. A man began to shout at the three guys to take it off the train. It seemed gang related. I worried they might have guns.

So far, even with the drama, I make it to and from school safely. Maybe you don’t ride public transportation, or, maybe you do. Either way, no matter where we are, what we do or—how we get to where we’re going to do what we do…we all face unknowns. The one thing that remains constant throughout our daily experience is God’s nature: his unfailing love for us. This is my courage and strength. We are beloved children of God!