Monday; March 7

Typically, by this time of year, I am relishing in the beginning of the Major League Baseball Spring Training. Even when I lived in some pretty cold places where snow covered ball fields well into April (or even May), there was hope that somewhere, someone was playing ball on green grass in the sunshine. Unfortunately, that’s not the case this year. Management and Labor are at an impasse and the Grapefruit and Cactus League remain shuttered. I am not going to get into the particulars of what’s going on, rather I am going to make a generic statement – a sport that has been declining in popularity over the last few years could ill-afford to alienate fans and spectators. An industry that was struggling to stay relevant is in dangerous territory with this stoppage.
As I thought about this dilemma, I got to thinking about the impact the Christian church is having on people – or maybe not having on people. If our goal is to reach people, we sure aren’t going to do it by being involved in scandals, making controversial political statements or pursuing self-serving agendas. In the past, churches have been a mainstay in our communities, but have we gotten away from demonstrating love and leading people to salvation? Are people looking away from us because we have forgotten about the people we have been called to serve?
Who knows when MLB will unlock their facilities; but let’s make sure that churches remain open and relevant to the people around us. No, the Lord’s church will never fail, but when we focus on how we can lead people to love and salvation we will help its global footprint to grow bigger than ever.

Think About It!

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