Over the last week I’ve been reading the book “Connected: Living in the light of the Trinity” by Sam Allberry. It’s been a good reminder of the biblical truths of the nature of God and how they apply to our lives in so many ways.

Today I came across this passage that pulled me up short and made me think. The context is a reflection on 1 Corinthians 12:27 and the truth it teaches that the church as a unity of saved individuals is the body of Christ. Therefore, how you treat the church is reflective of how your heart is towards Jesus. Here’s where the author runs with that. What do you think? Too hard or bang on?

In any church there will be some who have virtually nothing to do with the rest of that body of Christians. I’m not talking about visitors, or those whose main church is elsewhere but come occasionally for a friendly catch-up, or those one or two who can’t handle large crowds right now and so keep a very low profile on a Sunday, or those who are not yet Christians, but who come regularly and are still working their way through the claims of Christ.

I’m thinking of those who come regularly and think of this as their church and yet make minimal effort to get to know all the other people. At our own church, they are those I have to race to the door just to greet them before they disappear. Every church has them. You might even be one of them.

If that’s you, then I can’t stop you behaving that way. But I can tell you that each week when you snub your church family, you are snubbing Jesus himself. You may be theologically sharp as a pin. You may be very disciplined in your devotional life. But if you are not interested in your church family, then you relationship with Jesus is very poor indeed. Your attitude to them is the true guide to your attitude to him. Ignore the church by all means, but please don’t pretend you love Jesus.

Allberry, S, Connected: Living in the light of the Trinity,  pp 129-130