Sometimes, the things that are dearest to you make you want to barf.

Take church, for instance.

Forget the whole definition of what “church” really is (the body of the redeemed); it is so often seen as something else. And the “else” is often anything but what the Carpenter intended.

How many times have you been in a church where the atmosphere was not exciting and engaging: where internal politics ruled the leadership; where bickering and gossip were the small group topics (not as an issue for study but as what was done)? How often have you wished for it to be different? How often have you changed churches in an attempt to find something better, only to discover that it is all the same all over again?

This is why so many in the world, the unchurched and the once-upon-a-time churched, want nothing to do with it.

I received a phone call this morning about a church where all of the above is true. It breaks my heart. Good people thrown into turmoil. I’ve seen it more times than I care to admit. It actually caused me to run from God for more than a decade.

If that is what it is all about, count me out — don’t want it, not interested, pass the barf bag . . .

What if it was possible for church to be different? Can a church be like it was in the New Testament? Is it really possible to not only like church, but to be head over heels captivated and enthralled by it? Could church actually be life changing and life giving?

What if the church had a real passion for Jesus? One that was overwhelming and undeniable? Would it not be refreshing? How about powerful?

Ever seen a church with a sincere passion for evangelism? A real, honest-to-goodness, on-fire-for-people desire that people have an eternal life that actually exists. Not hype, not empty words, but natural, relational, consuming.

Aah, and what about a passion for each other? Members, staff, all having a blast together, full of energy, genuinely enjoying each other and getting the job done.

Would that make you not hate church? Could it change your life?

It did mine . . . 

Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, use words.
—Francis of Assisi