“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. Luke 18:10-11
There is perhaps no smaller thinking in the church than when we start comparing our church to other churches.
- God, I thank you that our church isn’t like those churches who are so traditional and so irrelevant.
- God, I thank you that our church isn’t like those churches who are so “culturally relevant” they have lost the real gospel.
- God, I thank you that our church isn’t like those churches who use all the wrong versions of the Bible.
- God, I thank you that our church isn’t like those churches who are a mile wide and an inch deep.
- God, I thank you that our church isn’t like those churches who are uptight and stuffy.
- God, I thank you that our church isn’t like those churches whose worship is wild and disorderly and worldly.
- God, I thank you that our church isn’t like those churches who welcome homosexuals.
- God, I thank you that our church isn’t like those churches who refuse to welcome homosexuals.
- God, I thank you that our church isn’t like those churches…
No matter where you find yourself in any of these prayers…
It’s ugly. In the kingdom of God, pride always is.