I guess we all have images about church and what it is supposed to be and not be. The cult of personality is one of the “don’t be’s.” Many Hollywood stars know that branding, having a marketable name, is critical to getting the roles you want. Some churches operate the same way. It is about the preacher, the media hits, and other marketable items. We have seen those who have made their name and claim-to-fame be overcome and destroyed by the same success that built their churches. There is danger in marketing.

I want the church to be successful and reach large masses of people. The problem becomes one of degree. At what point does the marketing and fame of the church or individuals outdistance the truth of Christ? How can you tell when you’ve crossed the line? A wise pastor once answered me by asking me to examine anything I was clinging to and unwilling to lose in my possessions or personal image. Those things would be suspect. I would think that you have crossed the line whenever fame, money, and success of the church (or anything) causes you to cover, hide, or be disingenuous in your faith. All fall short of the glory of God, and repentance is the only road to victory.

One of my images of church is kind of frightening. It is about polishing. Polishing semi-precious stones requires putting a group of stones in a tumbler with some water and abrasive and turning on the tumbler. The tumbler runs for days or weeks, causing the water, abrasive, and stones to bounce against each other, knocking off all the rough edges and polishing the surface. Rough image, but what is the point of church? 

Jesus has saved us to change us from this world to His, from our values to His. Church is a gathering place for Jesus to work on souls, transformations, and redemptions. Church is His workshop to turn raw materials into working materials of the kingdom of heaven. The evidence of Christ and the church is change. 

Here is another image. I saw a movie about marines on a mission. They had to get over a wall to achieve their goal. One marine ran and placed himself against the wall. The next marine climbed over him and became the next piece of the hunan ladder and so on until the last marine achieved the top. The top marine attached a rope for all others to climb up. The focus wasn’t the marines. It was the mission. This is my image of church leadership. The goal is Christ, the top of the wall. All the members of the church are part of helping all other members get there. You can tell the maturity of the leadership by their focus for getting others over the wall into the presence of Christ.  

I want to express my extreme gratitude for my church and faith-filled friends. God is using you to work on me, whether you know it or not. I’m not like I was, but I am yet to become what I will be. I see Jesus alive in you, and I am encouraged and challenged. We are growing together through the generosity and faithfulness of Jesus, our Lord.