I think it is arrogant to assume everyone should feel at home at your church. Nothing in particular sparked this thought. I didn't have anyone stomp off or overhear anyone say anything bad about my church. In passing I just remembered a family who tried CCC out and left. No hard feelings, they just didn't feel like they fit in.
The church is supposed to be a melting pot. The ultimate melting pot, no jews no greeks, slave nor free...(while that is talking more about the offer of salvation to anyone it is also the defining characteristic that unites those in the church and binds us to one another. OK maybe it is "a" defining characteristic and not just THE characteristic. But it is an important part nonetheless.) No one is bound to our part of the bride, nothing is wrong with them and nothing is necessarily wrong with us if they don't feel comfortable here.
We have a tendency to assume different = wrong but that is bad math. True at times different does = wrong, like when your answers are different from the teachers answer key, or when my checkbook balance is different from the baks version. But when different involves flavors, and sounds and personalities...the color is more gray than black or white. If someone doesn't make CCC their church home because of snobbishness, or sinful attitudes, because we're unfriendly or narrow. If they walk out the doors and don't darken them a second time because we are too...well, if we aren't being a good bride and they choose not to return it is our fault and we need to change.
But we need to get over our vainity guilt when people reject us as a church home, when it is sometime just a matter of personality differences.
I know more could be said on this topic but I am tired and it is late for me tonight. not that anyone has any reason to read this anymore anyway. been aeons since I last wrote.
Aaron