Xpectations

Life is full of expectations. As we wake up each morning, there are certain things which we expect to happen. We expect our car to start, we expect our coffee to taste a certain way. As we head to work or school, there are certain things that we expect to happen in our environment. Maybe it is the professor who always puts you to sleep, the guy at work who knows everything there is to know about fantasy football or something completely different. But then, something happens that completely throws a wrinkle into what our day or life holds for us. Something that changes the way we view things. The unexpected happens. Confusion sets in. Our emotions are all out of sorts and we are not sure what to think, say, or feel. For many of us, the same thing could be used to summarize our church experience. We expected something from the church and somehow our expectations were not met. Maybe someone treated us poorly, someone acted hypocritically, maybe the church was too political, whatever it was, it wasn't what we expected and it has completely changed the way that we view the church.

Unfortunately, for many people, their view of the church has shaped how they view Jesus. Because the church talks about Jesus, they equate the two as one. The problem with this, is that this is not at all who Jesus is, in fact he spoke out strongly against some of the very same actions that we just mentioned. He referred to people who acted this way as hypocritical, only concerned with the outside or what people could see. Jesus came to shatter many of these stereotypes of religion. You see Jesus was concerned with motives, with what people couldn't see, with the heart of people. He did not come to minister to perfect people, but rather as a perfect God, he came to minister to "sick" people who desperately need his love. Bono said it this way, "The fact that the Scriptures are brim full of hustlers, murderers, cowards, adulterers, and mercenaries used to shock me. Now it is a great source of comfort."

This should be something that all of us can find great comfort in. God's expectation of us, come as you are, experience my love, my forgiveness and expect something great. This is what the church should be all about. Will you help us change what people have come to expect?