I've been reading "An Unstoppable Force" by Erwin McManus which contains a myriad of things that I readily identify and concur with. Alot of stuff relating to the state of the modern church is, unfortunately, nothing new to me but I am glad the leadership of the 411 is diving into this book and using it as a springboard to seek God's heart in regards to the vision and values of the church. There is this one thing that McManus says that I keep coming back to: "We must remove every nonessential barrier facing those who seek God but have not yet found him."
When I first read that, I had to stop and re-read it several times...to me, that is a super bold statement! Not just one or two but "every" obstacle that gets in the way of someone seeking God...and to be honest with you, I don't know what that looks like. I'm not sure if I have ever been part of a church that lives that out whole-heartedly...even if that very sentiment is there, I have not seen it exercised unconditionally. One reason being that the removal of one of those barriers may very well result in decreasing the comfort level of a group of people within the church itself. And we can't have that, right?
As I ponder what those hindrances may be in church, I've been praying that God reveal any barriers I've put in place in my own life...and that He gives me the strength and conviction to take them down. What would my life be devoid of the "nonessential barriers"? What would the church look like? Am I, are we getting in God's way?