Say what?

I was talking with a member of another local church in the area recently. We've known each other for several years, but not really well until the last year or so. He always knew my role in my church. And he had heard some things from people in his church about us that made him form a very negative opinion of both me and the flock I shepherd.

Funny thing is, there's not an ounce of truth to what he heard. He knows that now because he's been around me and people from our church enough to have figured out on his own that the rumors were unfounded.

What makes Christians want to bash other Christians like that? I've got some ideas about it. Primarily I think it comes from ignorance and jealousy. Fact is, we're the only church in our denomination and in our area that is growing. The others are either in decline or on a long term plateau. Some are sincerely trying to move ahead. Others are content like they are. And for that I'm sad.

So do Christians think that if their church is struggling while the one down the road is healthy and growing that they need to "level the playing field" by knocking the other church? Is that what the Kingdom is about? I hope not.

I'm pulling for them to reach our community for the Kingdom. I see them as team members, not competitors, even if they do church differently than we do. That's OK. Just do it.

When I heard some of the stories being told about us, I didn't get mad. In fact I chuckled. How ridiculous can people be? How petty?

Just think. If some of those folks spent as much time and effort talking to people about Jesus rather than talking about another church, we might be talking about them!