Grace for the Least of These

"Jesus came announcing the Kingdom of God, but what appeared was the Church."

                                                                                           ~ Wilhelm Dilthey


Every Church I have ever been a part of says they seek 'to grow' in attendance, in spirituality, in new Christians.

If that is true, why aren't more churches actually 'growing?'


Churches will sometimes concentrate on various age groups; one minister even referred to them as 'targets' in a best-selling book.
Pardon me for saying so, but I believe people in a Church setting aren't meant to be shot at but rather to be uplifted by the grace of God.

Most churches have a personality all their own.
As a result, the particular, local church tends to seek out people like themselves or people they would like to have in their church to add to the prestige of their own attendance - although most would never, ever admit it.

Still others attempt other avenues to bring in the masses.

Fear mongering with the apocalypse, allegiance to Signs & Wonders, books, movies being shown in church → Do these things actually work and win people?
Along with the above mentioned, maybe so.

But what happens when the excitement or the intrigue with these wears off or wears down?
Are there any real lasting effects to a faith built of something rather than what is to be 'The Church's One Foundation?'

The truth is that we live in a time when people outside the Body of Christ are either post-Church or Un-Churched.
They do not need fads or flashes in a pan; they need what everybody has always needed. They need grace.

And this includes those whom Jesus called, 'The Least of These.'

People, all people, live in a harsh and unforgiving world; why would anyone bother with the Church to begin with?
That's a good question, a question I asked before a church congregation over a year ago; they still haven't found out the answer.

There is only one reason men and women will stay in a Church fellowship, if they have come for the right reasons and right heart; the answer is grace.
Why would people come to a church that is just like the activity of the world which is so harsh?

They wouldn't, not for long anyway.

As for those whom Jesus called, 'The Least of These,' they may be the most ignored segment of society.
They need Christ and His grace as much as those who dress appropriately and have nice things in life, but they are ignored because too often we are seeking others who are just like us to sit next to us in our pews.
They don't come to Church because they don't think of the Church as a place to find support or grace; instead, many believe they are viewed with eyes of judgment if anyone takes notice at all.

As the Body of Christ, we must change that perception and make the reality to be men and women who are viewed with eyes of grace and mercy.

Contrary to what is proclaimed in today's media by mindless drones pushing a political position or by cleavage-showing blondes, our existence will not end as a by-product to a meaningless, random universe. 
It will not end by the cooling of the sun or the destruction of the Earth's environment.
God will end my existence, not by 'Karma', but in His mercy and grace; being just toward all, believers and non-believers, according to His Love.

Knowing this, like a man dancing to the sounds emitting from his own iPod, the Christian should hear a different sound from Creation than those who live solely in this grim and unforgiving world.
That joy in our heads and our hearts is God's grace personified; it is the other side of life in the world today, the other side of the pain and death we were never supposed to experience.

The truth of the matter of grace toward the least of these is this→ Few churches welcome people who have nothing to offer the organization.
Yet, those who need grace and mercy are the very people for which it is meant.

And you know the people I'm speaking of just as much as I do:
Unwed Mother
Alcoholic
Gay/Straight, both need grace
Poor
Hurting
The 'Different'
The 'Unwanted'
Elderly

You see, God did not send His Son to us on the Earth so that His Church could point a judgmental finger at others, or lift a nose of arrogance, or ignore those who are hurting from life and in need of something very powerful and otherworldly from God Himself.

As we live in the world, opportunities abound to dispense grace to the 'Least of These;' we should not just sit back and speak of sharing grace. 
We ought to be actively giving it away to all who ask.

In the couple of years or so, I've lost a mountain of respect for Christians whom I once thought were solidly strong in the faith.
What changed my mind, more than anything else, was their personal reaction towards those whom Christ would call 'The Least of These.'
And even after some time has past, I still cannot understand how a Christian can worship a homeless man on Sunday and then stir up hatred toward homeless people he comes in contact with the rest of the week.

After experiencing grace myself, how can I not give it away to others in need?

The Body of Christ is not to be an elite club containing insurance men, prominent School Board members, wealthy elitists, and slick preachers running things; fooling some but mostly unknown to the masses.
No, the Body of Christ is in fact, the Least of These who become the Church by Grace and realize when we meet together, that we are all recovering sinners.

We are the Church.
Whether we realize it or not, God chose His Church as the vehicle through which the Gospel is shared to a pain-stricken and hurting world. For better or worse, we are what we are - but we can do better than we've been doing.

So, what must we do to make the Church, the Body of Christ, the very first place men and women think of when 'grace' is mentioned, rather than the last?
I'm not sure and I don't have a definite answer, but I'm certain it isn't what we've been doing. 

Until next time, win one for the good guys.