Hello all, I caught an inspiration on UMYF Sunday and wanted to come straight home and put in another article on Counselor's Corner. As I said today, May 30th was UMYF Sunday here at Glendale Heights. Our youth had the worship service this morning and I would just like to say that we did a great job. Our theme was "I Dream a Church that..." We had four of our youth come up and tell the congregation what their dream church would be. They talked about several things such as, a congregation that worried about each other instead of the budget, a church that was God centered rather than self centered, and things such as these. I would just like to say from a spectator's role, they said exactly what needed to be said. So many people in our church, and in many others from what I understand, come to church so they can get dressed up, see their friends, sit down, stand up, sing, pray, get preached at and get home before the basketball game. The one thing they forget in all that is Jesus. His name is being talked about, His works are discussed, but His lesson for us is not getting carried out. We forget in all the hype of going to church, the main reason for coming. Church is not about getting dressed up, church is not about meeting up with Helen to talk about what Mary Sue is wearing, or who Jim is shacking up with. Church is not about collecting enough offering to make budget so we can keep the lights on and do all these great works in the Lord's name. Church is not about the preacher, the choir, the kids running around or anything like that. Church is about God. Jesus said if two people meet in my name then I will be with them. Take a good hard look at your church, would you want Jesus there to see the back stabbing and rumor spreading that goes on in most churches? I think not. The fact is that He sees all. Jesus knows about your rumor spreading, he knows that you were in charge and now someone else is running the show and you are jealous. Jesus knows it all. It makes me appreciate God's grace all the more when I see people, that live in sin, and desecrate God's holy temple with conflict and contraversy. I'm no better, I am a sinner. I admit to going after personal gain from time to time, I am no better than anyone else. The difference is this. I am forgiven, I confess my sins and I know that God forgives me. That doesn't mean that I won't sin again, but I try hard not to. The good news is that Jesus loves me, and all of you enough to die for us that we may some day live with Him rather than end up in the Devil's barbeque pit. The support and the love simply needs to return to the universal church. Believers need to congregate and celebrate God's love, and go out and find the one lost sheep as we have been told to. We need to saddle up, put our gloves on, put our helmets on straight and say Coach, I want to be in the game. I am tired of living as a fan, I want to play for you! I may not be the best player, but with a coach like Jesus Christ helping us, we can win ANY game. Thanks for listening.
