My family has a membership to both Costco and Sam’s Club. We have had the Sam’s Club for over ten years, and last year, we found a Christmas deal on Costco, so we joined to see if they had anything new or different.

I love walking through the big box store and picking up items in bulk. One trip can yield supplies for the Church, items to share with my four boys, holiday supplies, and a year’s worth of trash bags for personal use. Because their products are in bulk and sold at wholesale prices, it is a place to get a lot of merchandise at a lower cost.

Several years ago, I saw an article from another minister who called the Church he was leading “Grace Wholesalers.” He envisioned a community of Christians who offered grace to one another in bulk.

The image has always stuck with me as a fantastic metaphor for the Church. It is a place where people who have committed public sins that everyone knows about can find grace. It is a place where people who have confessed “big” sins can find mercy. It is a place where people who have deep, dark secrets can bring them into the light without fear of judgment. It is a place where everyone can experience the love of God and one another no matter what they have done.

When people ask me, “What is your vision for the Church?” One of my primary responses is that I want us to be Grace Wholesalers. Eventually, everyone requires more grace, mercy, and love than they thought they initially needed. And the Christian community can meet that need in abundance.