The Quality of a Church

It has been said that the quality of a nation is not to be measured by its gross national product, by the size of its military or the number of its victories, by the grandeur of its cities, by the scientific achievements of its universities - or by any other such measures. The quality of a nation is to be measured simply by oberviing how it treats its children, its handicapped and ill, its elderly , its homeless, and thos in prison. That alonge measures the quality of a nation!
It is equally trued that the quality of a church is not be measured by the magnificence of its building, the value of its stained glass, the number of pipes in its organ, the size of its budget or membership, or the pupit prestigue of its preachers.
The quality of a church is not to be measured by how well it sings the Hallelujah Chorus - but in how well it hears and responds to the cry of a dying child in a faraway land.
The quality of a church is not to be measured by how good, upright and law-abiding are its members - but in how it ministers to those in prison.
The quality of a church is no measured by how well dressed are its members at a service of worship - but in their generosity in clothing the naked of the world.
The quality of a church is not to be measured by the size and value of the homes in which its members live - but by what thaye are doing to make sure that the rest of the world is decently housed.
The quality of a church is not to be measured by how many of its members tithe their income - but by what they do with their total income.
The quality of a church is no tbe meaured by the health care it provides its pastors - but by what the church is doing to provide health care for all.
The quality of a church is not to be measured by what its preachers say about poverty - but by what the poor say about that church.
The quality of a church is measured not by the amount of food on the table at a pot-luck dinner - but by who is really invited to eat.
The quality of a church is measured not by the beauty of its sanctuary and stained glass - but by the beauty and generosity of its spirit.
The measuring stick of Jesus was simply, what have you done about the poor, the naked, the lonely, the sick they hungry and imprisoned, the rejected neglected and disenfranchised of the world?
Nothing else was mentioned.