There is a movement these days toward Simple Church. There is even a book. While I admit the need, I wonder if it is possible. I am all for adjusting schedule or order of worship. What I don’t expect is that relationships will ever be simple. There are whiners and grumps and “high maintenance saints” in every church. There are always people I don’t naturally like whom I am called to love. My sons were, in a funny way, the same sort of trouble. As babies they kept me up at night. As teenagers they tested my patience and wisdom. As college students, they drained my bank account. But I wouldn’t trade the privilege of being a Dad for anything in the world! Sort of like church. When Paul (1 Corinthians 8) tells us to make decisions based on what is good for others it complicates life. In a good way. Church only works when we learn to love.
I can only speak for myself, but I know that my life was never again the same the day I realized that like has nothing to do with love. Actually, to me, it seems love is of the kingdom of Light and like is from the kingdom of darkness. God is Love so loving is actually just choosing to let Him flow through me into the life of another. It references only two people…. God as the source and the person whom He dearly, dearly, unfathomably loves as the recipient. Like, however, references only me.