better together

by Eddie Moody, Executive Secretary, National Association of Free Will Baptists

Life in HD

Do you remember when high- definition television (HDTV) arrived on the scene? Suddenly, some of the people we watched for years on television were no longer perfect in appearance. HDTV brought every flaw to life, from wrinkles and laugh lines to lint. With HDTV, you get so close you see all the flaws.

As a pastor, I often thought being part of a church was a bit like HDTV. When you are faithfully involved in a church you get to know one another really well, flaws and all. You see people at their best, and sometimes at their worst. You know their idiosyncrasies. You don’t really know a person until you have worked together in the nursery or conducted church repairs that didn’t go so well.
From the outside, Christianity and the church can be a bit like life before HDTV when it comes to well-known singers, pastors, and theologians. If we take those images with us to church, we may wonder why our leaders and fellow church people can’t be more like MacArthur, Keller, Ramsey, or

(insert your favorite Christian celebrity here). Sometimes, we may even be turned off when those at our church do not seem to live up to the Christian celebrities of our day. I fear many Christians today are in danger of missing what it really means to be part of the church because they are unwilling to love others despite flaws and imperfections.

Church life in high definition is never clearer than at a funeral (obviously, the funerals prior to COVID-19). Over the years, I saw large crowds attend funerals for folks long past their prime (from the world’s point of view). In the early days of my ministry, a deacon named J.P. Seley often came to me after each funeral to say, “You did a fine job on that funeral, but you did have a good product.” His point was that the person, though imperfect, followed the Savior and really preached his or her own funeral. In most cases, he had known these individuals for decades. He knew their imperfections and idiosyncrasies and yet referred to them as a “good product.”

Mr. Seley was not the only person who felt that way. Though they may not have said it, the rest of the congregation demonstrated their feelings, too. Often during funeral songs, I could not help but notice the reactions of those in attendance. Their faces and body language in unguarded moments said it all. Yes, they knew the person was in Heaven, but they also knew there would be no more Sunday School classes, keeping the nursery, working on the building, or serving in this life together. It was clear they loved their departed friend in spite of flaws, and they would deeply miss him or her.

Really, that is what the Christian life, and being a part of a church, is all about. We grow to love people—often much different than ourselves—as we grow together in Christ. We must take full advantage of opportunities to grow together in life. May we persevere with other believers in spite of their imperfections…and ours. Life in HD is better.

About the columnist: Better Together is a regular feature of ONE Magazine. Written by Eddie Moody, executive secretary of the National Association of Free Will Baptists, the column explores life and ministry. Have a suggested topic or question? Contact Eddie: emoody@nafwb.org.