The Orientation of the Church

The church is a "redeemed" community and also a "redemptive" community, bringing forgiveness,healing, consolation and hope to the lives of people through the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sometimes we think, the church's orientation is limited to truth alone. No, the truth is always joined with grace. Our Lord was full of grace and truth. "For the grace of God has appeared...."(Titus 2;11). But we often try to propagate truth without grace. Does anybody want it? No, not even our own children. It is a tragic reality that many people who go through problems, failures, marriage/family issues etc.do not find some churches as a welcome place, as we shy away from ministering to them, befriending them, and as one young man told me, we give the impression that our church is only for "perfect" people. We are reluctant to admit it, but the fact remains and a cloud of witnesses will testify to it. Let us pray that the Lord may give us a new orientation to grace ( as always without compromising truth). The truth that church is a "grace-oriented fellowship" and not a "law oriented group" will revolutionize our vision and ministries. In many churches, this outlook is a missing link. Time to wake up, pray, and change. Don't make the church an unpleasant, negative place to be. It is a place of caring, loving and serving. In a hurting, broken, and fallen world, people are suffering, lives are shattered. We need a fresh orientation to grace. Lord help me, help us!