what are we doing to be Christ?

I miss church...I really do. I really have no excuse for being absent as long as I have been - laziness, fatigue...I guess it all plays a factor.

Not long ago I had a chat with a good friend about the seemingly-downward trend of the Church. We hear gossip within the walls, we feel cold, we feel....nothing. We see the church not reaching out as it should, but rather focusing inward.

I say "we" because over the last year or so, I've noticed the same trends. It's disheartening...and rather enough to keep me home on a Sunday morning and listen to worship music and podcasts on iTunes. While I don't get the "family" effect at home, I do get the teaching and worship aspects - and in many ways, I get more out of that...and I GIVE more that way, too.

I want to feel at home at church - at what used to be MY church - but I don't. I haven't for a long time, now. And, other than finding a new church, I'm not sure what to do about it.
I keep waiting for a job to get me back into the groove - but I'm not so sure that's really the answer.

I want to see a church that reaches out to the community - intentionally tries to make a difference in the neighborhood. I'm not seeing it, and that's the problem.
What I do see is a church focused inward, on self-improvement, on the people currently in attendance. And while it's necessary to remain focused inward - it can't be the only focus. That's not what church IS -
A church isn't JUST the people in attendance on a Sunday morning!

The church needs a new kitchen - a new stove - to bring it up to code. Sure, safety is an issue, but what other benefits come from updating the appliances? Better potlucks, more successful fundraisers for the youth group?
What about providing a community meal once a week to reach out - and not just a meal where donations are accepted, where there's a Bible study following...but a meal with no strings attached...just a service of love and friendship. What about putting that new stove to some good use??

When the earth shook in Haiti, people reached out - jumped into action. The world showed compassion for a country that couldn't afford to help itself. I had made the comment to a friend - it was great to see the Church being the Church.
I wish it was something we could see everyday.

But is the Church ONLY being the Church when they reach out to third and fourth-world countries? What about the neighbor down the street that can't afford to buy groceries this week? Or the couple across the street that just lost a child?
What is the Church doing for them?