Just look at this mess!

I love the fact that everywhere you look, you can discover creativity. Creative thinking, creative living, creative planning, creative everything. The cool thing about creativity, is it isn't limited to just what I come up with. Creativity abounds everywhere..literally. One of my favorite things to do is look for creative ideas or creative thoughts. I love to permit my mind to think creatively on something that catches my attention.

I was reading another pastor's blog today and he was talking about messy churches. Think about that. It goes against so much of what we think we are supposed to do as pastors. Isn't our highest aim to have a clean, well groomed church that the Lord will be pleased with? Isn't that the overarching aim? I'm not so sure. I know the Bible speaks of Christ's return for a bride without spot or wrinkle so that automatically denotes a clean and "mess free" church. I think perhaps the work of the church should be messy though....I mean after all, we're supposed to be reaching out to "messed" up people. Right? Maybe to become a clean, wrinkle free church means to become interested in the messy issues of people's lives. Maybe that's the true means of becoming spotless and without wrinkle.

I think of a church where Jesus Christ is the Lead Pastor and I wonder what kind of church that would be. I wonder what kind of people would feel comfortable there. What would the theme of that church look like? I' m not exactly sure but if the way Jesus lived His life on this earth is any indication, I bet it would be a pretty "messy" church!

Man, I want to be the Lead Pastor of a "messy" church! You know the kind of church I'm talking about? A church where people have problems and aren't afraid to be honest about those problems. A church that isn't afraid to be who they are regardless of who other people think they are. The kind of church that isn't ashamed at the mess but thankful to God for the mess that He brings us out of.

I think the aim to be a mess free church is in many ways contrary to the Church Jesus had in mind. No doubt the goal of the church is to develop mature Christ Followers but the more mess, the more potential for mature Christ Followers....right?

I think we need a fresh dose of mess in our churches! If there is no mess, there is no work. It's like a messy house....if the house is not a mess, there isn't any work to do (my wife likes that part of it). But the church should be a place where work is done constantly. Helping people clean the mess out of their lives because of the hope given through the cross of Jesus Christ.

Look for a mess to help clean up! Jesus was always helping to clean up a mess in someone elses life...

This will be the focus of the sermon this weekend!