There's a funny story about a man rescued from a deserted island by the Coast Guard. The captain noticed three huts on the island and asked, "What's that hut on the north side?" The man answered, "That's my house — that's where I live." "And the hut on the east side?" "That's my church. It's where I worship God." "I get that," said the captain. "But what about the third hut?" "Oh," said the man, "that's where I used to go to church."

It's funny because most of us have been there.

When I was fresh out of seminary and looking for my first call, a friend offered me this piece of advice: "Joe, if you ever find the perfect church — don't go. Because as sure as you show up, you'll ruin it." His point was clear. There are no perfect churches because there are no perfect people. There never have been. You can read about it in almost every letter Paul ever wrote.

And yet — the church, imperfect as it is, remains one of God's primary ways of doing something in the world. We were not designed to make the journey alone. We need each other. We need the songs, the prayers, the sacraments, the community of people who are stumbling toward God together.

If you have a church family, give thanks for it today — and pray for it. Pray for the pastors and leaders. Pray for the congregation. Ask God to bless the ministry there, and to use even its imperfections for good.

If you don't have a community of faith, I'd encourage you to keep looking. Ask God for leading. The right community may not be perfect — but it will be yours.

And if you have been hurt by someone in the church — and many of you have, I pray for God's healing and peace. Please don't confuse the church with God, and end up walking away from both. Keep your heart open. God is always doing something new — even here, even now, even in us.

Our prayer today was written in the early 1600s by Rev. William Laud, then Archbishop of Canterbury:

Prayer: Gracious God, we pray for your church. Fill it with all truth in all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in anything it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son, our Savior. Amen.