There is nothing new in Christ's church

What has been is what will be,

and what has been done is what will be done,

and there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there a thing of which it is said,

"See, this is new?"

It has been already,

in the ages before us.

I've heard this verse applied in lots of different ways, but not ever in the context of what we as Christ's church, are doing.

I love my local fellowship. Although I think most people in my church have never heard the word "missional" (I'm the only one who is nerdy enough or has the time to read pastor blogs), and while most of them are scared to death of a heresy called "the social gospel"; my brothers and sisters in church put me to shame in terms of how much they reaching out to those outside of our church walls. Just last week one couple shared that they took their Jewish dentist skiing and another lady shared that she convinced a coworker to read the Bible. Add to that the coworkers of two other congregants that discussed the Lord in the past week, and a retired friend who has made herself an establishment in the local McDonalds where everyone knows they can go to her to talk. I am merely scratching the surface of the myriads of ways my church is reaching out to individuals.

While I love to read some of the stuff younger pastors my age are writing, I don't see much difference between what they are talking about and what my older, more conservative church is doing. Making inroads into the community through relationships. Sharing Christ through example, kindness, and actual witnessing. There is nothing new under the sun.

I don't know if I'm bragging about my church or not; I think I am talking to myself. That the next time I complain that one of our ministries needs to be more "intentional", I'd better remove the beam in my eye and start reaching out a fraction of the time that my older brothers and sisters in the Lord do.

I do know that I am bragging on Christ and his church. Whether we are holding a coffee house or an old-fashioned revival meeting God will use us. God will use us when we're knocking on doors to tell the good news and when we invite someone over for lunch. God uses us when we're going to work, and when we plan to help someone out in our spare time, and even when we're relaxing and doing neither. God takes his church and builds it, and he has, and he will be.