A second look?

Many people think Christianity is all about rules. It's about "do this, don't do that." I believed that most of my life, so I can relate. It kept me away for years. That was then, and now I know better.

The time between Palm Sunday and Easter up has been pretty special to me the past few years. In light of all the tension in the news (and in social media) it has been even more powerful this year. I'm amazed at how the message of grace, forgiveness, love, and redemption can so easily be muddled, confused, obscured, and ultimately missed.

I've been looking over these pictures since last week. They are from the first part of the "Passion Week"

presentation that my church is putting on this year. As I review them, I reflect on the joy and healing (physical, mental, and emotional) that are represented. I think about the tragedy and glory of what is to come in part two. It's humbling, moving,  inspiring, and life-changing to realize that God loves me (and you) so much that he went to these incredible lengths to demonstrate that love and to provide a way for us to have a  relationship with him.

This is what I know. God loves you. Jesus conquered death to build a bridge between you and God. He did that knowing that we aren't perfect and never will be. He isn't demanding perfection from us. As an incredible heavenly father, he wants to build a relationship with you, in spite of any fault you might think you have. In spite of any obstacle that you may think makes you unlovable to him. He loves you. Period.

Of course, if you're in the area I'd love for you to join us this week for Part Two at my church.  I'd also love for you to fearlessly join us in my Sunday School class. I'd like to challenge you to test our love, test our grace, see if we're a bunch of judgmental hypocrites or if we're broken people that have been radically transformed by His grace. But more important than that, I'd love for you to meet this Jesus guy that I know. Whether you ever come to my church or not, this kind of love and sacrifice demands a second look. There's nothing I like to talk about more.

I'd like to have a conversation with you if you feel you've been hurt or betrayed by the church. I'd love to share my story of the miracles I've seen in my life that have helped me to overcome the same thing. If you're brave and willing, I'll buy breakfast. No strings attached.

Why I won't invite you to church

I am a Christian. I believe in Heaven and I believe in Hell. I believe that Heaven is an incredible place...a place where there is no sorrow, no tears, and no pain. I believe Hell is a place of torment and isolation, forever separated from joy, love, and God. I also believe that there is one path to Heaven...by accepting the gift of life that Jesus Christ, the son of God, died to give us.

But I'm not going to invite you to church.

It isn't that I hate you and want you to go to hell. It isn't that my church has something wrong with it. I'm not embarrassed about my faith or my church.

I believe that you matter to God. If you matter to God, you matter to me. God sent His only son to redeem humanity, to reconcile this lost world back to Him. But just because you matter to God doesn't mean you go to Heaven. The all mighty and all powerfull God has chosen to give us all free will. He allows us to chose where we spend eternity. We don't all get in.

So if I don't hate you, but I actually love you deeply and want to see you in heaven, why don't I invite you to church? Simple. Because church can't save you. You can attend church every day of your life, attend seminary, and even pastor a church and still not make it. Only Jesus can save you. That's all, nothing else. I don't want to invite you to church, I want to introduce you to Jesus.