Dirty Cups

Last week I was cleaning out the garage and found an old coffee cup I had left out there months earlier (or maybe longer). The site of brown, green and grey mold growing over the top of the abandoned coffee was pretty disgusting. It reminded me of Jesus rebuke of the Pharisees, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence" (Matthew 23:24-26).

I find myself increasingly disturbed by the trends I see in 21st century churches. I fear that we do a wonderful job in cleaning the outside of the cup, we have a  nice, sanitized environment to worship, but we are missing the opportunities to minister to the people who most need to learn about Christ. Let me share a few observations I hope are helpful:

1. I can't speak for everyone who walks into a church on Sunday morning, but there are a lot of Sunday's I feel like that dirty cup. I clean up pretty good on the outside. I cover up a week of struggle and failures with a clean pair of khaki's and blue blazer. I smile cheerfully and when people ask, "how are you," I respond with the obligatory, "I'm fine, or I'm doing great, how about you?" Then I go on to another week and no one is the wiser.
2. I struggle with a gap between my heart and hands. I want the church to minister to the prostitutes, alcoholics and broken menbers of our society, but struggle with getting my own hands dirty. I am afraid of the time, challenges and headaches ministering to dysfunctional community will bring.
3. I wonder how many broken, hurting and struggling members there are who look just like me every Sunday morning. They pull out their nicest dress, or best silk tie. They brush their hair and paste on their Sunday-go-to-meeting smile, but inside are rotting away. Inside is a dark, dirty, disgusting bowl that we hope no one ever sees.

I love reading the stories of the New Testament church. Not because they are filled with stories of hope, conversion and eternal glory, but because they reveal real people with real problems. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners, the early church converted pagans, adulterers, homosexuals, and those challenges and struggles carried over into the work of the local church. I am inspired by the belief that we can open our doors to the basest of human behavior and walk with convicts and characters, pagans and prostitutes, leading them along the path to a greater understanding of Christ.

I almost cringe to put in this short addendum (it shouldn't be necessary), but if I don't many will choose to misunderstand. In seeking out the most challenging elements of our society to minister to, we do not advocate embracing sinful behavior, or enabling unrighteous conduct, we do need to learn how to walk with sinners to lead them to Christ. We must demonstrate the love that Jesus showed the woman caught in adultery, and model the grace and mercy that inspires people change.

If you will excuse me, I need to go run my cup back through the dishwasher.