Please understand that what I am writing here I am equaly guilty of. Any reference I make applies to myself too.

I have seen and heard many things about what a church should be, it seems everyone is commenting about an article by Charles Colson. He does not understand the "Alt" church and those involved in what he calls the "Alt" church think he is a curmudgeon who doesn't get it and doesn't want to.

I have seen many dish it out as good as Mr Colson gave it, but is that what we are called to do by Christ? Mr. Colsons article is off base, he doesn't understand and he shared his thoughts and showed exactly how much he does not understand. So what? What has he hurt? He tossed a stone, let those of us without sin toss the next one. By responding to the article in many of the ways I have seen we are stooping to his level. Is that what Christ would have us do?

I have heard many people talking about how to make church better. I have heard people accuse others of making it all about them. I have heard people talk about what the church is not doing for them, how their needs are not being met. I get that we all have needs that must be met, but they can not be what comes first.

When we sit and debate over the petty little stuff even if we sit and debate over the really tough issues for to long, we take the focus off of Christ and put it on ourselves. We don't mean to, but we are human and we are sinners. We are self absorbed spoiled bratts that want everything our own way. Again I ask is this what Christ would have us do?

We need to stand firm on the absolutes of our faith we also have to see where our absolute may not be someone else's. I have a cousin who love Christ as much as I do. We share the absolute of the cross and needing to have a personal relationship with him. She felt that her baby needed to be Baptized so that if something happened he could go to heaven. This is an absolute for her. Taught to her by her church. I after a year long bible study and prayer over the issue decided to be baptized as an adult. After my study I could see where the difference was. I needed to choose it myself not have my parents choose it for me. This is an absolute for me. We disagree, my cousin and I have talked about it and we disagree. We could hash it out for the rest of our lives and make it all about our point of view and being right. That is not what we choose, we choose to accept that we see this issue differently and that in the grand scale of things that doesn't matter. What matters is Christ.

I know a women who doesn't come to church if she knows that our Pastor is away. She has not liked anyone who has filled in for him and so she chooses not to come. I asked her what about you needing to be there to serve others not just be served. She said she doesn't get fed unless the SP is there and if she is not getting fed then why should she come.

I talked to a student last night who said hope you don't mind if I bail on Youth Group this week a game night is not my thing. I told it to him straight the choice was his but it's not about what is his thing or not. It is about serving Christ even if we don't like the game. The next generation will follow the lead of ours and take it a step further. What do we want to leave them with?

I am as guilty of this as anyone and I need to be reminded it is not about me as much as everyone else. Really I hate to say it but maybe we need to bring back wwjd. It is not about us or the little stuff it is about Christ.

How do we sort out our issues and difference and keep the focus on Christ?