Reflections

It's Sunday evening and I am at home reflecting on a great day of experiences.

The music was great...the worship was great...and His Word was clear to all of us who were there. The service closed with a time of openness before God. Nothing fancy...not an "altar call", but a simple invitation for people to spend some time thinking about areas of their lives that needed His change and transformation.

The front of the chapel was packed with sincere pilgrims who wanted transformation.

I stood in the front and was one of those who wants transformation in my life.

Then it hit me....

In my reading earlier this week I ran across a question that haunts me. How you answer the question determines your TQ. Transformation Quotient.

Here's the question...

Is the church for me? or, Is it me for the church?

For a long time I thought the church was for me. Intuitively I knew different, but it was comforting for me to say "this is my church." I approached it as a consumer, looking for what it could do for me. I even yielded to the temptation at times to be critical and say, "I didn't get anything out of it."

As I become a serious pilgrim, I realize that the real question is, "Is it me for the church?" I am not a consumer, I am a contributor.

The moment I shifted my perspective, I began to see transformation in my life.

I have seen a lot of people who are critical of the church and leadership during my life. When I hear criticisms it makes me wonder how they see the question.

Reflections are fun at the end of a day like today.

There are a lot of things that I am not sure of, but I am sure that I want to be a part of a church where transformation regularly takes place in the lives of those who attend. I think that kind of church is a place where people see themselves for the church rather than see the church for themselves.

What do you think?