A Chosen Race

Dear Church,
 
I love the diversity at Houston First Church of God; on any given Sunday you will see different races, worshipping and praising God together. As many of us already know, the nation’s population is becoming more diverse, racially and ethnically. However, according to the Pew Research Center report on global religious diversity; the top diverse religious groups are the Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Buddhists. Why is that? Why are these groups more diverse than the church? There could be many reasons for the lack of diversity amongst evangelicals; such as different styles of worship, familiarity, and cultural relevance. But the fact still remains that Sunday morning (11am) is the most segregated hour in America. In 1 Peter 2:9-10, it says “But you are a chosen RACE, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. I am proud of the fact that I am an African American man, however; when I gave my life to Christ, I became born again. So what does this mean? My allegiance is to my new RACE, which is the CHURCH. The world needs to see the church come together in word and in deed. They need to see different races, cultures, and ethnicities; serving side by side, and loving one another. Racial Reconciliation starts with the church, and it’s our love for one another that draws the unbeliever to Christ. And let the church say AMEN!
 
Pastor Marcus