Reaching Up, Reaching Out, Reaching In

There are many churches that have adopted a variant of the Reaching Up, Reaching Out, Reaching In motto. It's easy to remember and can spur interest in the programs the church has determined to employ. I certainly like the concept and firmly believe that it captures the essence of the Christian life. I wonder sometimes though how much energy our churches have put into making this concept the overarching principle of their various ministries.

We typically look at Reaching Up as pertaining to our corporate worship on Sunday morning. But when the Lord was asked about the greatest or most important command He quoted Deuteronomy 6:5, reminding those who heard Him that Reaching Up is supposed to be a constant part of life (Mk 12:30). By giving ourselves entirely to God we surrender self and focus on His amazing love and grace. I can't help but think of Paul's instruction to the Roman Christians when he told them, "...offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship" (Ro 12:1).

The idea of Reaching Out is a reminder of the second half of the greatest command, "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mk 12:31). While we seldom look at this passage as a call to evangelism the truth is, there is no greater way to prove our love for our neighbor than to introduce them to the Great Physician. Far too often we emphasize acts of benevolence and fellowship as our programs that fulfill our desire to Reach Out and offer all kinds of excuses for not providing the Bread of Life instead of the Loaves and Fish. Yes, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and meeting the emotional needs of those around us is part of reaching out. But when those areas of work become the focus of Reaching Out I'm afraid we've missed the real mission of the church.

We have become very good at Reaching In...at least reaching in to the people that are most like us. We are social animals that truly need Chrstian fellowship. We certainly need to spend recreational time with our spiritual family and build lifelong relationships. But we can't allow ball games and visits to the local buffet become the focus of our congregational activities. Our Christian associations must be aimed at all Christians, regardless of their backgrounds, current social standing or marital status. We need to seek ways to, "...consider how to spur one another on to good deeds...(and) encourage one another...) (Heb 10:24-25). We all understand that the world won't help us walk more righteously. We need sweet fellowship with the saints that emphasizes our mutual spiritual growth, that turns ballgames and buffets into opportunities to give a helping hand in reaching our common goal of living life showing our appreciation for the grace God has poured out on us.

Next time you look at the motto "Reaching Up, Reaching Out, Reaching In" I pray that it will bring to your mind the awesome life God has granted us. I hope it will push you to review the things in your life and determine to make each one match up with something in that motto. I pray that the churches that have adopted it will find themselves weighing their activities to see if they are truly accomplishing what they say they are.