Church is hard!

I wrote about this in brief in the Midweek Memo for our church this week.  But I can't quit thinking about it for various reasons.

Church is hard.

And I don't mean the gathering of the church.  I don't even particularly mean the administration or leadership of the church (though those present their own challenges and problems).  I mean Church.  CHURCH.  Life together.  Relationships.  Connectedness.  Community.  Family.  However you want to frame it or conceive it, that's what I'm talking about.

Church is hard.

Have you ever thought about the one another commands and how hard they are?

Forgive one another.  Even the no-count, no-good lazy person?  What about the Pharisee?

Bear with one another.  Like carrying a Space Shuttle on a crop duster - that's what it feels like sometimes.

Pray for one another.  What if I forget?  What if I don't like them?  What if I don't want to?

Encourage one another.  But that person is clearly not gifted in that area.

Outdo one another in showing honor.  Even to the person who deserves no honor?  Even my spouse?

Live in harmony with one another.  Even when we're more like a car horn than a quartet.

Don't judge one another.  Though I'm perfectly suited to do so.

Accept one another.  Warts and all.

Comfort one another.  But that requires me entering into someone else's pain and I've got enough pain on my own!

Serve one another.  As long as it comes back to me, sure.

Be kind to one another.  So the standard, "How are ya?" in the hallway doesn't cut it?

Always seek to do good to one another.  Always?  In all the ways?

Stir up one another (to love and good deeds).  I could stir someone else up.  But that parenthetical part gets me.

Don't speak evil against one another.  What if it's in the form of a prayer request?

And those are just a few.  Church is hard.

But it is so worth it.

But that's just me thinking thoughts...