IMPERFECTION AT ITS BEST

Next time you come to church, hopefully this Sunday, kneel down, say your prayers, then take a seat and look around. I’ll even give you permission to do the looking during the sermon. But you won’t have to. I’ll tell you what you will see. You will see imperfection at its best sitting all around you with yourself, the ideal role model, right square in the middle of the bunch. I know; I’ve sat there. I take that back. I know because I sit there.

     We are all imperfect people. We gather with all our imperfections in all our imperfectness (new word, so says my Spellchecker) week after week. We may not like it that way, but that’s the way it is. In fact, we may even give a false impression of who we are to those who visit or who read our website. Gordon Atkinson, who is pastor of Covenant Baptist Church in San Antonio relates. He says that people email him telling him they wish they could find a church just like his where they live. He responds:

     “Let me guess. You’re looking for a cool church, filled with authentic Christians who aren’t judgmental but also have convictions, are hip and classic in just the right mixture. A church where people forgive each other, love children, and worship in meaningful ways. A church with a ‘swing’ preacher who makes the Bible come alive, tells great stories, is a wonderful inspiration – and plays, too. A church that isn’t liberal or conservative, but seems to transcend…categories like those. A church where the hunger for truth is honored, and people can disagree but still love each other and share a plate of tacos [he’s in San Antonio, remember].

     “That’s what you’re looking for? I got ya. I understand, Here are some tips to help you search: you won’t find that church. Surely I don’t need to say anything about churches that have billboard commercials featuring preachers with $200 haircuts….Go ahead and grieve. You’ll have to make do with a silly bunch of dreamers and children, prone to mistakes, blunders, and misjudgments.” (Christian Century, 11/16/04 )

     Of course, when I first read Atkinson’s description of the perfect church, I thought he was talking about us, especially when he was talking about the preacher! Then when I read his last sentence, I knew he was talking about us, especially this preacher who himself is a silly dreamer prone to mistakes, blunders and misjudgments and who is surrounded by a congregation of more of the same.

     That’s good news, isn’t it? That’s Good News; that’s the Gospel news. The church was never, ever perfect. It has always been and is now filled with dreamers who have visions that seem impossible to realize, with blunderers who make mistakes as they try to give their very best, and people who jump to conclusions before they have all the facts. It is filled with people who don’t always agree, people who sometimes wish they were somewhere else, but people who love one another nevertheless and in spite of it all. In other words, we are imperfect people where imperfection at its best is often seen and realized.

     That does not mean we should be satisfied with imperfection. It simply means that we can never allow ourselves to be bogged down or consumed by it, as it will always be there. We simply have to accept it as a fact of life and make the best of what we have and who we are – as we have been doing all along. We must never stop dreaming and never be afraid of making mistakes. 

     I just thought we all needed a little reminder about who we are and what we will see as we gather for our Annual Meeting this Sunday.                                                WJP