by Brian Walters, Director of Adult Ministries @ MBC Loudoun

In my previous Core Value #5 blog we talked about treating all people with gentleness and respect no matter what we do.  Well, today I’m going to present you with two scenarios to demonstrate how we should and should not live out Core Value #5 in everyday situations.

Scenario #1: Picture this, a first time visitor comes to MBC Loudoun this coming Sunday.  Our guest is warmly greeted and takes her seat in the sanctuary. Not a second later, a regular attendee of MBC Loudoun comes up to our guest and fusses that she is “in their seat” and needs to move. This regular attendee proceeds to say “I’ve been coming to this church since it opened and I have always sat in that seat and no new person is going to take this seat away from me.” Do you think this visitor will feel cared for and loved? Probably not, right?

Well, I am certain that this kind of behavior would never happen at MBC Loudoun, but sadly this kind of behavior does happen all the time at churches all across the country.  Insensitive acts such as this may seem minor but have a major impact on the likelihood of a guest becoming a regular attendee or a member. 

Scenario #2: It is Easter morning at MBC Loudoun and the 10:45 am service is packed. Even our overflow area in The Rock is packed beyond belief.  At the beginning of Lon’s sermon an individual who looks dirty, smells like he hasn’t bathed in weeks, and reeks of urine wanders in to look for a seat but there is none available. So he sits down on the ground to the left of the worship stage in front of the big screen. Everyone notices this person but no one knows what they should do.  A MBC Loudoun regular attendee gets up from his seat in the front row and offers it to this man. The individual says no thanks so the regular attendee then sits down on the ground next to this man/woman for the rest of the sermon.  After the sermon is completed the regular attendee introduces himself, takes this individual out to lunch and helps this individual get situated at the Loudoun Homeless shelter.

The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as you love yourself (Matthew 22:39). By being obedient to this commandment and living it out people will be cared for and loved as a result.

The member in the first scenario put their own needs and wants before another individual. The attendee in this second scenario showed love and kindness to a complete stranger. The church is not a country club and should not to be consumer driven, but the church should be a hospital for sinners and saints. The take away is the body of Christ needs to put others needs before we put our own needs to help ensure people get plugged into a loving and caring community.

Our goal should be to treat everyone with gentleness and respect just like the attendee did in the second scenario.  While this might not always be the most comfortable thing for us to do, it is the right thing to do.  Let’s strive for excellence. Wait isn’t that another Core Value.  :)