Here we are preaching on the church at All Nations and I find that it is the most difficult series I have had to be involved with. Part of it is that I have had to work on my wounds and cynicism personally toward the church, and now I am having to lead others to do the same publically. This is not an easy task, since there are conflicts both in the world with the church and within the body of believers.

We live in a world that desperately needs us to be the church, yet we have failed terribly at it. Not just All Nations but the church throughout history has deeply wounded people and left most people seeing it as an irrelevant club. So in as much as they long for us to be the church, they are opposed and even at war with what they have experience the church to be.

Also the body of believers, those who even attended service on Sunday are wounded. Frustrated with all of the churches failures and the fact that their needs have not been met. The organization of the church often seems at odds with accomplishing the goals that they desire.

As a pastor the attacks from those within the church hurt, because often I see the church as an extention of my own personal spiritual experience rather than Christ bride. The person who said, "Christianity is a paradigm of suffer" was very wise. My idolatry regard church is being broken down. I have to remind my self that if Christ can continue to love her and handle the attacks I must. Most of the time I just want to be around those who think like me, or climb back into bed.