4th of July Reflection

The question isn't whether we'll face conflict and anger. We will. The question is: Will we let those challenges drive us toward greater Christlikeness and deeper community? Or will we let them harden our hearts and divide us from others?

Maybe it's time to remember that church isn't supposed to be a place where perfect people gather to maintain their perfection. It's supposed to be a place where broken people come together to experience the healing, hope, and hospitality of Jesus.

True hospitality isn't about having the right programs or saying the right words. It's about creating space where people can belong before they believe, where questions are welcomed rather than feared, and where someone's story matters more than their ability to recite the right theological answers.

The religious establishment interpreted Jesus's actions as an attack on everything they held sacred. Yet Jesus was not the rebellious child dismantling tradition—He was about to open them up into all their fullness.

The path forward requires a fundamental shift in perspective. Churches must move beyond merely "doing" church activities to authentically "being" the church. This distinction is more than semantic—it represents a complete reorientation of priorities and practices.