“His bride is still alive”

“This is a song for my family outside the walls of Sunday morning,
from some within

This is a song to confess our sins
Lay it all out
Try to begin again
to hope again

Please forgive our ignorance in looking down on you
Please forgive our selfishness for hiding in our pews while the world bleeds,
while the world needs us to be what we should be

This is a song for my family who just can’t believe in the Jesus that you see
on Sunday morning

This is a song for the cynical saints,
the burned out and hopeless
the ones who’ve been cast away
I feel your pain

Please forgive our wastefulness of all that we could be
Don’t forget there’s more than this,
Her beauty still exists,
His bride is still alive

His bride is still alive
His bride is still alive
His bride is still alive
His bride is still alive

This is a song for my family inside the walls of Sunday morning,
Be what you should be”
-Michael Gungor Band

I have been unable to stop listening to this song (a hidden one after ‘Glory Is Here’ on Michael Gungor Band’s ‘All I Need Is Here’ album) over the past few days – the words hit home – we are called to love, to see, to engage, to break down the walls of even our churches and our Christian world to be what we should be – to be aware of the hurting ones inside and outside of our churches – and DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT – to see them (and maybe see ourselves) as Christ sees us –

Philip Yancey says, “Jesus reduced the mark of a Christian to one word. ‘By this all men will know that you are my disciples,’ He said: ‘if you LOVE one another.’ The most subversive act the church can take is consistently to obey that one command.”

And I say this with more conviction of my own actions than anything – being aware of the stirring of Christ within me to see and love His people just as He loved me – and I am still learning and guilty of passing by those in need everyday – and this is calling me to ask forgiveness, selfishness, wastefulness…

but “HIS BRIDE IS STILL ALIVE.”

He is calling us to do something different – to get back to His word – and be Jesus followers – to love in such a way that people see Him through us – to break down these wall He never intended to divide – it’s not too late –
“His bride is still alive.”