i can hear our hearts crying.

This weekend, our church had a guest speaker come in to talk about leadership, particularly as it pertains to spiritual growth.

I wasn’t blown away.

One of my flaws — and I have many — is that I am an overly critical listener (for the most part, I hope, unintentionally so). I don’t know if this flaw has developed over my few years of journalistic training or if it comes from having perceptive parents who taught me to always ask questions. Either way, the flaw remains.

I assure you, I am working on it.

To be sure, the speaker wasn’t bad. His style was not my favorite, but most of what he said seemed to be fine.

Until yesterday evening, when he shared with us his thoughts on church growth.

Church growth is a favorite topic of so many church leaders, which has always baffled me. I’m of the Field of Dreams variety: If you build it, they will come.

In other words, give people Jesus, and they’ll come to you. (I am aware: There are things wrong with my ideal.) I’m just not a huge proponent of door-knocking or tract-passing. I think that works for some people, but I tend to think it’s a fairly small percentage.

Anyway.

As this man was sharing with us his five steps for church growth, I kept waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

I waited while he talked about knowledge (for the church to grow, one must have knowledge of the Word!).

I waited while he talked about initiative (we have to get off our rears and do something — like grade a correspondence course from China!).

I waited while he talked about commitment (we have to be sold out on our belief).

I waited, waited, waited through five talking points to hear the one word I think is most crucial in reaching the lost and growing a church.

Love.

I never heard it.

---

Just look out around us

People fightin' their wars

They think they'll be happy

When they've settled their scores

Let's lay down our weapons

That hold us apart

Be still for just a minute

Try to open our hearts

More love, I can hear our hearts cryin’

More love, I know that’s all we need

More love, to flow in between us

To take us and hold us and lift us above

If there’s ever an answer

It’s more love.

-- “More Love” by the Dixie Chicks