You may be spending more hours than you planned watching the Olympics
from London. Pretty amazing, isn’t it?
There are similarities between the Olympics and the life we have together in
the church, but there are two ways in which life in the church is God’s
“Un-Olympics.” (Remember Un-Cola?)
First, there is the way every fault is seen, recorded, and never
forgiven. Athletes strive for perfection and everything short of
perfection is duly noted. 95% of a gymnast’s performance is breathtaking, but
if they make one mistake, if they step outside the lines, the commentators
point that out. The judges give them a lower score. And that is the
way it is.
Sometimes life can feel that way at work, or at school, but in the church we
operate by grace. God wants our best! We sing, and serve, and
preach, and give the best we can, but here there is grace. Imperfection
does not disqualify us! Paul, in Romans 4, says God takes the initiative
to love and forgive those who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of
God. I am so glad we operate here by grace! I am so glad that
failing to “stick” a landing or hand off the baton doesn’t knock me out “the
race” that is life with God.
The second way the church is the “Un-Olympics” is the way God calls us to focus
on building one another up rather than (like TV commentators) pointing out each
mistake.
Every one of us has a decision to make: will we be a commentator who points out
each failure of those around us in the church, or will we be the team members
who stand on the deck of the pool swinging towels in the air and shouting words
of encouragement to our teammates?
It is easy to find someone who will enthusiastically join us in a
conspiracy of criticism and an ungracious focus on what isn’t perfect in others
(or the church). These kinds of words are destructive and
discouraging. Some churches are like a congregation of critical
commentators and others are places of grace where people are cheering one
another on to the next good thing. (It is okay when you are hearing this
kind of thing to lovingly say you choose not to focus on what isn’t right, but
on what is good and true!)
Paul, in Colossians 3, says whatever we do or say should be done in the name of
Jesus. In 1st Thessalonians 5:14 he calls us to encourage the
faint-hearted, help the weak, and “be patient with all of them.”
There are some members of the church here who are note writers. One is a
tough looking guy who frequently sends notes to the church staff saying “well
done,” or “hang in there,” or “I appreciate you.” Towel wavers who cheer
others on are such a gift! Last Sunday after church one of our youth who
spent a week in New Orleans on a mission team gave me a note that said how God
had worked in her life. She expressed her appreciation for the way God is
loving her through this church. Suddenly I felt lighter!
Will we be a place where people give their all? Will we trust that God is
big enough to do impossible things? Will we be a community of grace and
forgiveness…specializing in the God of second chances? Will we refuse to
join the conspiracy of critics and cheer one another on, focusing on what is
best…what is ahead?
What kind of games will we play?
Now back to the TV to watch the replay of the USA women’s team in gymnastics
winning the gold!
In Christ and for Christ,
Mark
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