Moving beyond tolerance...

We’ve been trying some different things in worship over the last couple of months. Most have gone quite well, some things are greatly appreciated by some, while not so much for others. Over the past several weeks, I think that everybody has seen something they really like, and at the same time, seen something they could do without.

I would like to pass along a quote from Brad Berglund, in his book, Reinventing Sunday…

Move beyond tolerance. Tolerance is a beginning, but it is incomplete. Jesus did not say, “the world will know you are my disciples if you tolerate each other.” As Jesus’ disciples, love is the virtue we seek. Tolerance usually means that we bear or put up with someone or something we don’t like. Love, on the other hand, is a decision to understand, respect, and desire the best for another person. As we worship together, love allows us to celebrate a style we dislike, knowing it creates an open heart for someone else.

As we try new things, we can approach them with an attitude of love. Can we love those things we might not really like, knowing that someone else is being touched in way that they weren’t being touched previously? Can we allow those people opportunities to grow, without feeling we’ve missed something?