We have spent several days considering whether or not a believer has to attend regular Sunday worship at a local church. Perhaps the answer would be easier for all of us if church were what it is supposed to be. Of course, what I am about to describe is somewhere in the realm of fantasy. It removes the human factor, or, better, the “flesh factor.” As long as we remain here, this church will be a dream. However, we could try….
The primary purpose of the church should be to share love. What? What about worship? Well, we all know that we can worship alone, but how do we love alone? Besides, what do you think Paul meant when he said that you could sing like the angels and still sound like clanging brass without love? To love others is to worship God.
Remember the old song, “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love”? Some churches don’t dare sing that song, do they? If they were judged by their love, no one would know they were Christians. Oh, most of them think of themselves as loving, of course. Certain people in the church are loved a great deal… and they seem to love themselves just fine. But love can be hard to find at many churches.
Why should love be the center point? Because Jesus is the center point. Because He loves us, we should love each other. Because He loves the lost, we should love the lost. Because His heart is our heart, our motives and actions toward others should be His.
Once you look past things like doctrine, missions, service, worship and everything else churches think they do, you see that love is really the point. Everything flows out of love. Even right doctrine can only be enjoyed in connection with love. Nobody cares if you are right if being right means you don’t care.
No comparisons, bearing one another’s burdens, respecting each other’s differences, no cliques or elitism, patience, welcome, acceptance—these are the things of love. This is what church should be like.
Grace for my Heart 
There is a recent song I heard to the effect that after I am gone to my Lord, will I have been known by my love. The Word of Life speaks so often of HOW we are to love, not IF. As I look back at Stephen’s death, he was rattling the Pharisees’ cages; they were not loving their elders. They were doing all kind of ‘self/flesh’ things to make themselves seem righteous to others and themselves.
My problem with lack of love in the church has been my own take on love, which is the bottom line for Christ. We all say “Oh, yes, I love the Lord;yet a ‘bad day’ changes me into the Pharisee”, which is no change at all. My love goes only so far. Love, as Grace, as Mercy are ALL about Christ in us. ..us in Christ … Agape’. We allow all kind of evil to reside all day long, then go to church and our demeanor is evil. That harms the Body even before we arrive because we are harmed ourselves, therefore, harming the other members. Where I live all day is the ‘love’ I present as I meet someone. That’s where the Pharisaical spirit comes in…I bend over backwards to not reflect who I really am, hide or just don’t care. Thus, and thus, the church goes on.
After 30 or so years in a ‘wonderful’ church, I knew very few members resounding Christ’s love. I am responsible to God for my own walk, not what I either get or don’t get from others. Love took my sick heart down the street, and Love met me at the door. All have been hurt. All have come short of the glory of God. The flesh wanted to go back to the years before and blame. I heard the Lord say, “Not so”.
As for my part, I have offended others just because of who I am and too, they have been badly harmed at the hands of the church. Who is responsible to make the relationships kind, good, loving in the face of hard times of ALL as we meet them? …me. He plants us where He wants us. It takes one person at a time truly loving Him to change our churches..”.imperfectly reflecting His Perfection”.
“Nobody cares if you are right if being right means you don’t care.” — wow.