She Told Me She Didn’t Belong in Church

A few years ago, a friend confided in me that she felt like she didn't belong in her church.

No matter how hard she tried, people were always criticising and judging her.

So I had to give her a dose of pastoral honesty...

That most churches have a script of what it looks like to be a good Christian.

But here's the catch: NOBODY MATCHES THE SCRIPT.

Which means that the people who "fit-in" are the ones who get really good at PRETENDING to match the script.

Everyone else, is on the out.

Jesus experienced this as well with the religious leaders in his own community. He resisted their scripts. He raged against their templates.

And you know what they did? They insulted him. The dragged his name in the dirt. They came up with all kind of titles to denigrade him. And this is my favorite one:

"Friend of sinners." (Matt. 11:19)

Read that text. Friend of sinners isn't some nice, poetic gospel phrase. It's meant to be an attack. Its intended in a derrogatory and demeaning way.

But for me, the insult becomes my song. Jesus is a friend of sinners! And that means he welcomes me, embraces me, and loves me.

I may not fit in at the local church.

I may not match the religious scripts of the pious.

But with Jesus, I belong...

And you do to. ❤️

—Pastor M

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