Clay in the Hands

I have been thinking a lot lately about the state of the church, not just our church (although that has been on my mind constantly) but the church in general.  As I think about our culture and the era and environment in which we live, I can’t help but think about the incredible opportunities we have as a church to reach the world.  In some ways, I think the harvest is as ready as it has ever been.  People are hungry for something more than they are finding in life.  And I believe as followers of Christ, we have what they need.

The church has been placed in an opportune place and time to make an impact in this world.  So why are so many churches either maintaining or even worse, in decline?  I believe the most fundamental downfall for any church (or individual for that matter) is when it ceases to look to God for direction.  The minute the church begins to focus on what it wants and away from being concerned about God’s plan, the stagnation begins.

But what about the church that is concerned about following God’s will?  I think the biggest problem that churches face is focus or lack there of.  We hear a lot about mission and vision in church growth circles these days.  But even with a clear mission statement or vision, the church can float along making little to know headway.  Once a church has a clearly defined vision, it needs to focus everything toward that vision.  An illustration that might help to make this point is the power of light.  A flashlight does a good job of helping us see in the dark.  But think about the power that light can have when tightly focused – it becomes a laser, capable cutting steel.

I truly believe that if the church, our church, is to be effective in our world today, we need to focus on what it is God has called us to do.