A Church of Imperfect People

Some of you might have heard of the whole Mike Guglielmucci issue down in Australia. For those who don’t here’s the story in short.

Mike Gug was a pastor in one of the prominent churches in Melbourne. For the past 2 years or so, he told everyone he had been diagnosed with cancer. He struggled against the disease valiantly. He even wrote a song that became famous, about how he was placing his trust in God, and how God is a healer.

To cut a long story short, it turned out that it was a farce. He hadn’t been diagnosed with cancer at all. I don’t know what he had, but it certainly wasn’t cancer. At first glance, it would seem he lied to everyone (his family included). He probably also made a lot of money from the royalties of the song he wrote.

As it turns out, he issued a formal apology, returned all the royalties he earned for that song, and confessed that he has a deep-seated problem with pornography. At least that’s what I was told by a friend I have in that church. So what do we say about this? I know a lot of people would be angry at him. A lot of people would sneer. A lot of people would point fingers at the Christian community as a whole and say “What’s so good about them? They’re the same as anyone else”.

What most people don’t realize is that the church is a church of imperfect people. Being a Christian does not mean we are perfect. We screw up too. We aren’t perfect. The only difference is that in our imperfection, we look to Christ for our perfection. Only He can cover our imperfections, which He did with His sacrifice.

So no, we are not and should not be holier than thou. We have the same problems as everyone else. Mike Gug made a big blunder. And he’s suffering the consequences now I believe. He sees the consequences in the eyes of the people he meets and the words of others. I don’t condone what he did myself, but neither do I condemn. And that’s because we all make mistakes. We all fall short of the mark. Just because he made a big public blunder does not make him worse than I am.

Have a look at the following lyrics from one of Switchfoot’s songs, Beautiful Letdown:

It was a beautiful let down
When I crashed and burned
When I found myself alone unknown and hurt
It was a beautiful let down
The day I knew
That all the riches this world had to offer me
Would never do

In a world full of bitter pain and bitter doubt
I was trying so hard to fit in, fit in,
Until I found out
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I will carry a cross and a song where I don't belong
But I don't belong

It was a beautiful let down
When you found me here
Yeah for once in a rare blue moon I see everything clear
I'll be a beautiful let down
That's what I'll forever be
And though it may cost my soul
I'll sing for free
We're still chasin our tails and the rising sun
And our dark water planet's
Still spinning in a race
Where no one wins and no one's one

I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I'm gonna set sight and set sail for the kingdom come
I will carry a cross and a song where I don't belong
But i don't belong
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
Kingdom come
Your kingdom come

Won't you let me down yeah
Let my foolish pride
Forever let me down

Easy living, not much like your name
Easy dying, you look just about the same
Won't you please take me off your list
Easy living please come on and let me down

We are a beautiful let down,
Painfully uncool,
The church of the dropouts
The losers, the sinners, the failures and the fools
Oh what a beautiful let down
Are we salt in the wound
Let us sing one true tune

I don't belong here
I don't belong here
I don't belong here
Feels like I don't belong here
Let me down
Let me down
Feels like I'm let down
Let me down.
Cuz I don't belong here
Please
Won't you let me down?

I know that was pretty long. But look at the words in bold. That’s who we are. A church of losers and failures. A church of the uncool. But above all, a church of sinners saved by grace.