Does your church have invisible people in attendance?
These are the people that are always overlooked and underestimated.
I am pretty sure that there are thousands of churches that are filled with Christians who have been labeled, overlooked, and hidden.
These are the ones who maybe don’t clean up as well as some of the more noticeable members.
Maybe it’s because they are not trying to be something. Maybe it’s because they know something we don’t.
If God has made you to be a certain way and also made you in His image, then why do we have such a difficult time when faced with someone who doesn’t fit their idea of a Christian?
I’ll be honest and say that I have been guilty of this in the past.
I have judged based on what I think a Christian should be. But the Bible is pretty clear about what it means to be a Christian.
Matthew 25:31-46 (The Message)
31-33“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
34-36“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’
37-40“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’
41-43“Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—
I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’
44“Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’
45“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’
46“Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”
Why is it that we look at some and see them worthy of our time, energy, love and then we completely overlook those we feel don’t deserve those very same things?
How can we, flawed as we are, think that we can clearly see anything?
When we decide someone’s worth aren’t we putting ourselves in the position of God?
Just because a person is patient or quiet shouldn’t give us the right to overlook them or take advantage of the fact that they are the ones practicing Christian behavior.
The old saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” should never be used in a church setting!
Take a look around and begin to see the invisible people, let your eyes be opened.
Can I just add that some people are invisible even when they appear to be the norm. I know sometimes I feel invisible in my own church that I’ve attended for almost 15 years. I go every week with my kids (I am an unmatched wife), sit in the front, struggle every week and have for 9 years through 2 pregnancies to try to quiet my children and get them to behave. Other families that have both parents there have help from the congregation, where I don’t. I’ve tried to be involved I teach Sunday School, and have in the Handbell choir, and yet I get criticism instead of assistance. I’ve even left and cried, but I continue to go back with my children and sit in the front. I’m not there for kudos but to praise God and try to give my children a good Christian upbringing. But sometimes it would be nice if I wasn’t so invisible to everyone else.
How right you are. Many of us overlook the quiet to give more attention to the louder people.
.-= Frantic Holly´s last blog ..Temptation is Beautiful! =-.
Great post!
Amen!
My husband and I attend/volunteer at an inner city missional church here in Houston; I struggled with this very topic when we first started attending. I grew up United Methodist — a preacher’s kid — I was used to a very orderly service where the congregation wore their Sunday best and quietly worshiped.
My first day at Impact (the name of our church) . . . I don’t think I heard a WORD of the service. There were homeless people, transvestites, gang members (or former ones), people with tattoos, people in dirty rags, people in wheel chairs, people who were “out of it.” Kids running all over the place.
I had never seen anything like it. . . and, I’m ashamed to say, I was upset that these people were ruining the worship service with their noise, smell, and attention getting looks. Isn’t that unbelievable awful?
I don’t know when things changed — when God truly opened my eyes and heart — but now I see the tears in the eyes of some of the “campers” (what our church calls the homeless men) as they raise their hands in worship. Those people I thought were crazy (and, yes, medically they are) still know they are in church and sing at the top of their lungs in praise of their Creator.
I was the one with the problem — the one who was disrupting worship with my hypocritical, pharisee heart — NOT these people who were “the least of these.”
Great post.
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..Semi Wordless Wednesday – New Orleans, Anyone? =-.
Terrific observation that can definitely be applied to every aspect of life. From school to work to shopping at the grocery store. I often walk out of my way not to have to pass by a disheveled man on my way to my morning Dunkin Donuts run. It’s because I’m afraid he’ll ask me for money and I’ll have to say no. But there is something generally pleasent about him, maybe his face. It’s interesting that he never has asked me for money nor have I seen him ask anyone for money and still I walk in a different direction. Maybe next time I’ll walk past him and see what happens. Thanks for an eye opening post!
Great post!!! Very true indeed.
~Lynn
.-= Lynn (eclecticeducation)´s last blog ..Cheap Homeschooling =-.
Thanks Lynn!
Wooohoooo PREEEEECHHHHHH TEll it… You go momma AMEN and AMEN. The church was designed God’s plan to be a hospital for the the hurting and abused, not a place to sit in air conditioned comfort and look down our noses at those we consider ‘less’ then us.. Hello we ARE them!!Now that we have foudn his healing we are to be the hand and feet that encompass others with that same passion and fervor that God sought us out..
.-= Angel´s last blog ..True story Tuesday , my first time playing =-.