Get over it...

What other church is there besides institutional? There’s nobody who doesn’t have problems with the church, because there’s sin in the church. But there’s no other place to be a Christian except the church. There’s sin in the local bank. There’s sin in the grocery stores. I really don’t understand this naïve criticism of the institution. I really don’t get it. Frederick von Hugel said the institution of the church is like the bark on the tree. There’s no life in the bark. It’s dead wood. But it protects the life of the tree within. And the tree grows and grows. If you take the bark off, it’s prone to disease, dehydration, death. So, yes, the church is dead but it protects something alive. And when you try to have a church without bark, it doesn’t last long. It disappears, gets sick, and it’s prone to all kinds of disease, heresy, and narcissism. -Eugene Peterson

You can't have a healthy relationship with a body that has no head...or a head that has no body. Jesus and church are united...like head and body, moon and sun, bark and tree...Snickers and wrapper. Yes, sometimes the wrapper is cold, lifeless and tough to get through to find the good stuff inside but you don't get one without the other. God designed life to begin in a home, a family and all the "stuff" that goes on in families...goes on in the church too.

People are, well...difficult. We are picky, self centered, flesh focused, slow to love, judgmental, tend to our own gardens more than others, sensitive to everything, hard to get to know, rude, we smell, we talk too much, we don't talk enough, we are stingy, overly religious or spiritually dry as a stump of wood. We are fake, we act like we are glad to see you and then bitch about you behind your back. We look spiritual with hands raised but inside our hearts we are nurturing a big attitude.

We are divisive...we gather in cliques, we remember for way too long and then use those memories to limit or sabotage potential relationships. We love to complain, moan, grumble, fuss, whine, curse, gossip, pick at, pick apart, tear down and gnaw on issues until they are stripped to the bone. We make small stuff a big issue and forget the big issues all together. We stay away from too many people because we don't like having to deal with people or have people deal with us. Or we are in everyones business and can't disentangle ourselves from being front and center in everything...we are drama queens and pushy kings. We think our ideas, opinions, likes and dislikes should be preeminent in everyones minds. We want consulted, talked too, called, written and generally relationally massaged at every turn.

We are sinful, angry, addicted, imbalanced, unhealthy, angry, bitter, wounded, abused and abusive. We come from backgrounds that make us near impossible to get along with or from such good backgrounds that people don't know how to be around us. We like to fight, to make waves, cause trouble then act like we are surprised about all the negative energy that is coming our way...because we love to be the victim, the poor soul, the hurt puppy, the kicked dog, the cat with its tail stepped on. We love to be doodled over, tended too, cup of souped, and yet...we act like we are so put out if someone else calls us for something.

Oh, God have mercy...it's a wonder any church survives.

But that is just the darkside of the moon.
There is a wonderful beauty that can only be found in relationship with another human being.
But sometimes you will wonder if the highs make up for the lows...but in the end...it is God's way.
I know that sounds depressing but it is all true..in part.