I love the church

Choirs hold a very special place in my heart. The most amazing choir I've seen yet, is the Cal Baptist Choir during Christmas time.

A choir is one of the most beautiful pictures of Christ and the church.

Here is a group of people, each with different parts, assigned to them by the director. Not one part is greater than the other, but all work together in perfect harmony. Many different sounds, but one voice. They know the words to the songs. They've studied them intently, yet they keep their eyes on the director so that they don't fall out of sync with his goal. In turn it creates a beautiful sound. Onlookers can't help but pause and admire the beauty of it.

When I see a choir and the place their eyes are set, I can't help but turn my eyes to the director myself, if only to see the source of the beauty.

As the church, we are a group of people, all with different roles and parts. Some of us have gifts of teaching, some giving, some leadership, some service, and some mercy, assigned to us by God in a way that glorifies Him the most. No gift is greater than the other, but all work together for the goal He has set. Many different sounds, but one voice. We, the church, know the Word of God. We study it. We know what God has to say in it, yet we keep our eyes on Jesus so that we don't miss what He has for us. In turn it creates a beautiful church. One that looks like Jesus. Onlookers can't help but notice a difference in us, and it may cause them to look to Jesus.

I think choirs are a beautiful picture of Christ and the church, though I know that the church is full of sinful people and has a long way to go. But if we continue to look to Jesus and His guiding, as a choir looks to their director, I believe He will continue to work in and through us by God's grace.

The church can be messy at times. We are messy people. But Jesus loves the church- His church- and therefore I love the church.

"Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other" (Romans 12:4-5 NLT).