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Friday, June 5, 2009

My Dream Church

One of my heroes is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and my favorite speech is his "I Have a Dream Speech." During our weekend services at the Stroudsburg Wesleyan Church, I shared my "I Have a Dream Speech." I articulated to our congregation what my dream church would look like. It actually looks a lot like the church we, in time, became.

Here is the text for the speech:

Our Dream Church
- by Lead Pastor Lenny Luchetti
…We have a dream of a church that sees a human being not based upon the level of that person’s income or education but based upon their value in the eyes of God,
…A church that is unashamedly committed to Christ and because of that commitment is radically dedicated to loving all kinds of people with all kinds of issues in all kinds of ways,
…A church that is not consumed by petty deliberations about the color of the sanctuary carpet because she is too consumed by the mission of love Christ has called us to live,
…A church that sees overwhelming needs in our community and world and instead of turning away in fear and defeat runs right toward the needs by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, and caring for the sick, the addicted, and the depressed,
…A church that helps seekers become servants of Christ, a church that is led not by perfect people but by people perfectly submitted to the Holy Spirit and guided by the Holy Book,
…We have a dream of a church that is not content to simply share a pew together but who are open to share life together, a church full of people who refuse to hold grudges because they’re too quick to forgive, who refuse to gossip because they’re too busy extending grace, who refuse to judge because they’re too busy loving,
…A church where people can worship by clapping their hands, stomping their feet, and raising their hands or being still, bowing their heads, and closing their mouths, a church that sees true religious devotion not as mere ritual but as love for the orphan and the widow, the successful and the struggling, the friend and the enemy,
…A church who measures the level of their success not by how many people show up on Saturday or Sunday but by how many people are living out Christ’s mission on Monday,
…We have a dream of a church that refuses to put limits on what God can do because she has the fearless, reckless audacity to believe that God has the power to do absolutely anything!

This dream originated in the heart of Christ and is the kind of church we are becoming. If this is the kind of church you want to belong to, you are in the right place. Come join us in fulfilling this dream!!!!