like a fire

holyphil: I itch there actually Holyphil wrote a great article about the church and felt needs. It talks about how often the church tries to do many things to serve the people in it’s area that don’t scratch the itch that they feel.

I saw a really great cartoon on Dave’s cartoon church blog the other day. It was of a man with two arrows pointing at him. The top arrow pointed to his left shoulder and the caption said: “The church scratches here.” However, the other arrow coming up from the bottom right pointed to his stomach and the caption read: “But I itch here!”. My heart jumped when I saw it as it seemed to sum up everything I have been feeling about the church for the past 6 years.

I think this sums up the mindset of many postmodern church-goers. They have wants and needs that many just don’t even realize. They see things in a different way than others, and need someone to affirm their perspective. It is a great reminder to people in the church to look beyond yourself.

However.

It is sometimes not the role of the church to scratch all itches. There are many itches that in fact are caused by wayward hearts that don’t need affirmation but instead accountability. I often see people who are frustrated with the church and very judgmental of it who are “thirsty yet cursing the clouds with their face to the rain.” They blame the church for their thirst. They blame God for their dry weary soul. They blame the modern view of church leaders for not understanding their needs. I would love to hear a sermon titled “God supplies my every need.”

It seems like I disagree with Holyphil, but I actually don’t. Just another perspective.