Tammy Leigh Maxey
There is a call for unity among the churches, among the divisions in the Body of Christ, to work together in bringing in the harvest, not to compete or toil against one another. Answering the call begins with acceptance — a simple, but powerful, act of will.
I was once that person. One who was so rigid in the dynamics of my faith that I was completely unwilling to accept another’s. Until, when God told me one night, “Love Me, love My church.”
It wasn’t an instant turn-around for me. It still took time, for I was stubborn, hardened in my heart against “the church.” Years before, as a youth, I had approached my church with a problem of spiritual warfare that many teens and young adults battle every day. I had grown up in church, I believed in church, but in my darkest hour of spiritual need, my own church turned me away.
I was hurt — and angry.
Tammy Leigh Maxey
“You’ve got to come check out this church I found” my stepdad told me. “They are right up your alley with the Christian motorsports magazine; it’s a biker church.” (I was the editor for Christian MotorSports Illustrated at the time.) I figured, “Sure, I’ll go check it out.” The following Sunday I swung by and picked him up, my two nieces who were spending the weekend with me in tow, and headed to the “biker church.” I’m not sure what I was expecting exactly, but I sure wasn’t expecting anything like what I saw…