When I was 10, my friend and I "borrowed" a couple of tomatoes from my neighbors garden, had a feast, and became very sick! It was a bad experience and it kept me away
from tomatoes from that day forward. Well, it only took 30 years, but I came back around to seeing that tomatoes are not only good for me, but they actually taste great. For no particular reason I started eating tomatoes again this week. In fact I had several on my Veggie Subway at lunch and they made my sandwich awesome.
All of this started me thinking about how many people have had a bad experience at church recently or several years ago, and decided not to try it again. Like me in my tomato journey, they wrongly see church as something that will make them sick, or see church as something that is for other people and not really for them. This reminds me that we must do church with excellence, we must be relevant, and we must not be boring. Too much is at stake! This upcoming Sunday, some people will be trying church for the first time while others may be returning for (to them), no particular reason.
When the church is missing it's purpose, it seats people before bad tomatoes. When the church is living out it's design, it seats people at the very table of God so that they may feast on His Grace and His Goodness.


I have the feeling that I'm supposed to know what URL stands for (I don't) and that if that isn't filled in I won't get my comment to you...but, in case I do, I enjoyed your blog articles and your writing is clear and very meaningful. You live what you Preach! Love,
Mom
Posted by: Maxine Morarie | September 20, 2005 at 05:11 PM
Seriously - I am not just plugging my blog here or anthing, but:
http://www.jeanierhoades.com/stuff-i-actually-think/i-think-you-know-where-ive-been
Tomatoes - heaven in a red, juicy, edible sphere
Posted by: J | September 18, 2007 at 01:52 PM