Are You Well Groomed?

This morning, Scout Labradoodle was scheduled for her day at the spa. Shampoo, grooming, nails, the works. Who knows, maybe they throw in a massage while they're at it. So Rebekah, not wanting to send the puppy in looking too unkempt (even thought that's exactly why Scout was headed for the beauty parlor), started to pull some "beggars lice" from Scout's beard, comb out some matted fur, and snip a little straggly hair from around her eyes.

Then she got into her ears.

Then she pulled out the brush.

Two hours later - I kid you not - Scout looked like this. I hardly recognized her anymore. The "pulled through a hedge backwards" look she's been working on for the past few weeks was history.

Needless to say, I cancelled Scout's visit to A Handsome Hound this morning. But it reminded me of people who spend all day cleaning their house before the maid service comes in - because they don't want the house to look so bad.

It also reminded me of something about church. Some people are concerned that "The right kind of people" show up on Sunday mornings. They get uncomfortable around visitors who don't fit into their narrowly defined social milieu. The thought is "They should get cleaned up before they come to church."

I really like something I heard from a friend recently. "You don't need to take a bath before you come to church... You come to church for the bath."

The idea has to do with the fact that we're all broken and imperfect in many ways. But if we stay away from church until we believe we're finally "good enough" to be there we miss out. Church is exactly where we need to be in order to deal with our brokenness and pain and need for grace and forgiveness.

Well, that's always been my experience.

"If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest. - Jesus