How Might This Affect the Church?

“How might this affect my church?”

As 21st century westerners, it’s a question we rarely think to ask — when it comes to how we spend our money, schedule our weekends, or choose where to live. Or whether we’ll fight sin, pursue holiness, and regularly attend to the Bible and prayer.

It’s a given that we’ll ask: “How might this affect me?” 

It’s possible that we’ll ask: “How might this affect my family or closest friends?”

But it’s surprisingly seldom that we’ll ask: “How might this affect my church?” 

I say this surprisingly because based on how the Bible describes the Christian life, one would assume we’d operate far less as isolated, independent individuals in the world, and far more as integrated, accountable members of Jesus’ family, than we currently do.

The truth is: One cannot be united to Jesus and not united to his people — the church. And so, “How might this affect the church?” As 21st century western Christians, it’s a question we need to begin asking more.

Let’s pray.

Prayer of Confession

Father, we confess our self-centeredness. We admit it is all-too-easy for us to see our lives only through the lens of our preferences, and not the welfare of your people to whom we, by grace, now belong. We recognize the pride, and self-seeking, and sin-driven independence that’s behind much of this. We recognize how our sin has pushed us away from consideration of how to bless others and toward contemplation of how to only benefit ourselves. 

Our sin has bent us inward, and viewed our interests as of ultimate importance. We confess how unlike Jesus we are in these ways. We confess how much our darkness has formed us contrary to the light and goodness within you. We confess this, along with all the other ways we have sinned this week, to you now in this moment of silent confession.