One of my favorite shows from the 80's and 90's is the show Cheers. My college roommate and I used to watch it religiously every night in our dorm room. Every episode began with Norm walking in and the entire place yelling "Norm!" followed by one of Norm's quick-witted antidotes. Cheers captured the idea that there's a place that's a safe haven from the world, a place where people know you and accept you for who you are, where you can be yourself.
It's a little like how I feel when I walk into the Starbucks near my house and the barista says, "Hey David. You having ice tea or a latte today?" I love that. I love that feeling of being in a comfortable place, where someone remembers me and what I like, where I can be myself and there's no expectations from those around me; just acceptance.
That's what I want for the church. And not just the church that I pastor, but for every local church and for "the church" in general - the body of Jesus followers around the world. I'm so thankful that I have the opportunity to pastor a church that's well on it's way to being a modern day "Cheers." I'm also thankful for the the influence that I, and our church, have been given to help other churches get there.
2 comments:
That is absolutely how I feel walking into church every Sunday.
Thanks for the great feedback Beth. I do hear that a lot about our church.
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