If you are like me, you enjoy reading church slogans. The ones you see on the marquee in front of some churches. Recently I saw a marquee that said, “Come in and hang out with God.” That one caught my attention, mainly because it’s an important promise to make and sometimes a hard promise to keep. Hard, because if we’re not careful our churches might reflect the presence of its people more than the presence of our God.
Of course, I began thinking, what would a church have to do to display the presence of God? Its people would have to live like Him! Qualities like hospitality, the loving acceptance of all kinds of people, a quickness to serve, a tangible love for one another that makes people feel safe and included regardless of color or class, and a patient tolerance of one another’s weaknesses would all be a great way to start. Paul said we should walk in a manner “worthy of the Lord” (Col. 1:10). And he also said that being worthy means we will be humble, gentle, bearing with one another in love, eagerly keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:2-3).
Let’s live in such a way that others will experience the presence of the God who lives in us—wherever we are, but especially at church.
Keep in mind, those who walk with Christ bring the presence of God to everyone around them.
See you next Sunday.
MJ