Why, as churches, are we not out in the community? Why are we travelling to our church services on sunday and bible studies during the week, sitting indoors for an hour or so, and then going home again? Where does it say Jesus did that? Why aren't we talking to people like he did? Why aren't we helping them in their need like he did? Why aren't we reaching out to them with God's love like he did?
It frustrates me that the church (generally, and mine) is quite happy to sit in their pews and take take take from the service and the experience (often going away feeling very good about themselves), without giving a thought to those in the houses around them who might be crying out for someone to show that they care for and about them.
Every week it seems people are praying for God to send us 'young professionals' with the pre-requisite young children, well-paid jobs, and ability to play the piano and/or run the Sunday School. And every week God sends us the drug addicts, the alcoholics, those with mental and emotional problems. And people turn them away, or are unwelcoming because they either don't know how to cope with them or think they'll upset things.
So what are we missing?
We're being Pharisees. They thought Jesus should be spending time with the 'pure and upstanding' members of the Jewish community. But he wanted to hang out with the outcasts - the prostitutes, the tax collectors (!), the exiles, the lepers, those shunned by those 'pure and upstanding' people. Those are the people Jesus wanted to spend his time with, those are the people he ministered to. So why aren't we? How can we read our Bible and claim to live by it and not see that we've got the wrong idea?
Church is there to meet people's needs (and to worship God through this - "Whatever you do for one of these you do for me"). So why aren't we?