The modern church versus the gates of Hell

L love the following quote by Bob Russel, because it eloquently expresses sentiments I have long held.

And that's kinda another little disagreement I have with the emergent church. They emphasize that we need to have love, but sometimes they denigrate the church of the past as thought the church of the past didn't have any love.

If you read Donald Miller's book 'Blue Like Jazz', he talks about [how] he found more love in a commune than he found in a church. And I'm sure that exists in some places. That doesn't resonate with the church I know about the past. The church of the past was not perfect, but you know, they did some pretty good things.

And uh... you know, look around. Who started 106 of the first 108 colleges in this country? The church. You look in your community. Who started most the hospitals i the community? The church? Whose responsible for funding the inner-city ministries that minister to the addicted and the homeless? The church. Who started the orphanages and the homes for the elderly? The church. Who consistently visits with and conducts services for people in prison? The church Who teaches the moral values that become the foundation for reliable business? The church. Let me ask you, who taught you to sing, me to sing 50 to 60 years ago, "Red and yellow black and white, they are precious in his site, Jesus loves the little children of the world"? That was before the Civil Rights movement. You know who taught me that? The church. When Hurricane Katrina ripped the gulf coast, who was there first with the most practical help, who sent the most money without scraping anything off the top? And whose still there several years later? The church, that's who.

And I get weary of people just bashing the Bride of Christ as though all we've done is hold services. The church has been pretty loving, not as loving as it could be. but it hasn't been chopped liver.

Bob Russel from a sermon entitled "The Grace of the Lord Jesus Be With You"

Amen, Bob.