Well i went to bed but i couldn't sleep. i've been thinkin about how lately we've all been doggin the church. and ya know what...i know more than any of you *because my mom's on staff* all the faults and bad things about our church and the people in it. there are tons of things that our church does wrong. and i know that. but there are things more important that picking out everything the church does wrong. there ARE things worth getting upset for....but this kind of stuff is not worth it. if i spent half the time i spend on finding faults, on praying for lost people how many more believers would there be? i thought of the verse that is in Matt that Christ says right after the Last Supper...they'll know you are mine by your love for one another. guys how can we be loving if we spend our time being cynical and critical? Christ's last actions were to wash the feet of his disciples...some who He knew very well were not good guys. If Christ, knowing EVERY single fault of theirs, AND on top of all that being PERFECT, could wash their feet shouldn't we try to wash the dirt of the feet of the church and be an encourager and an uplifter and bless them? Shouldn't we, like Christ, be servants to the church? And instead of finding it's faults could we not be made more beneficial in offering our gifts and talents to build up the church? Who are we to judge the church? Do we not each have our own faults? I'm very guilty of a billion different sins...how can I then, being who I am, point a finger at the church? Not to say that I'm justifying any of our sins. But there is a high judge and He will judge each accordingly. So while I will not endorse the things that are wrong I will love the church...it's Christ's bride for cryin out loud! Praise the Lord that we don't worship a church or anything that is sinful. Praise God because we worship Him...who IS perfect and can never be ANYTHNG but perfect and just.