Act 12

I know God has written a Love story in which God is the Lover and we are the Beloved. 

And I know God woos us.  Relentlessly. 

And I know the church has abdicated its place in God's Love story to a committee.

And like anything relegated to a committee, the story is homogenized and pasteurized and once again, made safe for consumption.  For only the lowest common denominator will be acceptable.  The people Jesus exhorted in Matthew 23 did it to a song recently.  The original lyrics by John Mark McMillan, were changed to “Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss” from “Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss.”

When a child awaits the arrival of their parents, they have a barely-contained energy and Love within them that explodes forth in a rush as their parents walk through the door.  I’ll never forget moments like that when my children were young.  I’d walk in the door and I’d hear “Daddy, daddy, daddyyyyyyyyy!”  And a child would launch themselves into the air and into my arms planting a very messy, sloppy wet kiss on my face.

And someday it shall be when we see God face to face.

And so it was when the Prodigal Son returned home to his Daddy—a daddy who ran to meet him with an embrace and a very sloppy wet kiss. 

by Wayne Forte (www.wayneforte.com)

And such was the Love of the harlot who poured her perfume on Jesus’ feet, anointing him…shedding tears of Love and gratitude on them further blessing him…and then drying them with her hair. 

And such Love is killed in committee and if it comes out at all, it comes out “nice.”

And such Love—such a Jesus—was once killed in committee as well.

Why is the institutional church becoming a relic—an antique?  Not because of worship styles or unintelligible liturgies, but because of a lack of Love.

We mostly have well-meaning, well-intentioned people in our churches.  And some of them even have a passion inside them for God and making a difference in this world through Extravagant Love.  But once they gather in committee, the Love is tamed. 

We execute the dreams and passions of our church members.  We gather in the town square and place the necks of their dreams under the guillotines of our committees, beheading them to silence their voices.

What if we didn’t?

What if someone came forth with Untamed Love and an idea to bring hotdogs to the mobile home park in town and feed the kids and families there?  Imagine children gathering round to be fed…and to feel Loved!

What if another with Untamed Love posted on Facebook a need for a friend and the need was filled by their community without any committee involvement?  Imagine the smiles and happy tears of the person whose need was fulfilled!

What if another went in mission, without the blessing of the missions committee, to children with medical needs Loving on them sloppily, extravagantly, and wonderfully bringing healing to their bodies, and joy to the souls of those children and their families?  Imagine cleft palates being healed.  Imagine smiles being whole for the first time.  Imagine children feeling whole and Loved and “normal!”

Imagine.

And then know this:  we don’t just have to imagine such a thing.

Because these things are happening.  Now.  And without committees.  People with Love abounding in their hearts are shining in their communities and such things are occurring around us. 

And without the blessing of denominational churches.

If our denominational churches refuse to learn, they will fade leaving only a faint imprint like an image on a TV screen left on too long, once enjoyed, now an annoyance.

The wonderful story of the Woman at the Well in John chapter 4 is about the first evangelist.  And her unbounded, extravagant and oh-so-Untamed Love for Jesus was not neutered in committee, but instead evangelized an entire community! 

For the church to once again be the Church, we need to reclaim our birthright as the Beloved in God’s Love story.  And to do so, we must first accept and receive the Untamed Love of the Lover, and then share that Love with all those around us. 

We Love because God first Loved us.

Let it be so.  Let’s no longer just imagine such things.  Let’s stop voting on Love and asking someone to observe Robert and his rules of order regarding it. 

But if it takes speaking that language for you to hear, then hear me:

I move that we begin Loving our communities extravagantly, passionately, and ridiculously.

Do I hear a second?

If I do, then game on.  We’re not waiting for a vote.