Worship Priorities

As we travel the country in our 38 foot motorhome one of our greatest challenges it finding a place to worship.  It isn't that there are a shortage of churches.  It isn’t even due to our unwillingness to worship in any church, because we have attended many different churches with many different names over the doors.  We are unashamedly members of the Church of Christ.  However, we do not believe that the CHURCH is limited to those who attend Churches of Christ.  It is our conviction that the church is made up of believers, and that these believers attend congregations in various diverse groups throughout the world.  God’s church is not limited by man’s design.  Our belief is founded in the diversity of the churches named in the New Testament.  For example, the seven churches of Asia Jesus addresses in Revelation.  Each of these churches practice worship in a different manner.  Jesus has a problem with six of them.  However, He calls ALL of them His church.  It is apparent in New Testament history that churches, while practicing and binding different things upon themselves, did not expect the same from their brethren in other places and congregations (see Acts 15 and Romans 14).  This is just to address why we have no problem going to church outside of our immediate fellowship.

So, one might ask, “Then, Rod, why is finding a place to worship such a challenge?”  To answer this question I must reveal my own personal prejudices.  As I look at the many different stripes of Christianity, it becomes clear that each one has its own traditions, customs, and practices.  As to our core beliefs, there isn’t much difference.  However, when it comes to what we do for an hour or so each week in our public gatherings, there can be a lot of variety.  One of our customs in the churches of Christ is participation in the observance of the Lord’s Supper.  I know that many in our church believe this is a law.  However, I find nothing in scripture to support that position.  Indeed, it is my position that in making it a law we take away from it’s special significance.  Jesus died to set us free from law, not to set up another system of law-keeping.  Having said that, it would seem to me that the early church felt this sacrament of communion to be an important custom.  There is much historical evidence showing that our first and second century brethren observed communion every time they came together, often as much as seven days a week!  Scripture does point out that it was Paul’s custom to observe the Lord’s Supper on the first day of the week.  And there are numerous scriptures that deal with this rite.  The Lord’s Supper should be a very special privilege to each and every Christian.  When we partake of the bread and wine, we demonstrate our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It is at the very core of Christianity.  I find it to be a wonderful time of celebration, and I look forward to it every Sunday.

My brethren who do not observe it every Sunday usually have a special service monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, or sporadically.  The usual explanation I receive for their custom is that to observe it every week would make it too common, taking away from its specialness.  I find just the opposite to be the case.  I don’t mean it as a criticism, but I do find that these brethren do offer the opportunity to partake in a public contribution every Sunday.  Yet, when I look in scripture I find only two references to the church having a collection during a public meeting.  Is this more important than observance of the Lord’s Supper?  Does it take away from its specialness when we offer the contribution weekly?  I would just like my fellows in other churches to think about it, and maybe consider returning to the custom of our first-century brethren.  It would sure make my search for a place to worship easier ;>).

Flowering Beauty

            As I write this reflection it is a little after two in the morning.  For some reason, I can’t sleep.  This has been happening quite frequently lately.  I’m not really sure why, but I keep waking up after a few short hours of sleep, getting up for a couple of hours, and then sleeping soundly the rest of the night.  I suspect it’s because there are so many random thoughts rolling around in my near empty head.  For instance, I have been taking pictures of flowers that I really know nothing about.  They’re just pretty, so I try and do them some digital justice with our Canon Rebel.  I consider how they have certain similarities – they each have some sort of stem, different shaped petals, some kind of inner workings, stamens, pistils, seeds, and other assorted parts.  They have to have these in order to be a flower.  However, as captivating as their beauty is, I’m struck by their diversity.  I understand that there are as many as a quarter of a million different types of flowers!  Yet, each one is still just a flower.  Each one belongs to the other, without any of them being able to deny the authenticity of the other.  And, aren’t we glad?  Suppose all flowers were exactly the same.  Would we appreciate their beauty as much as we do now?  Isn’t it awesome how God created flowers with such diversity?  Just imagine all the flowers you’ve seen.  You might have a favorite.  Although, I don’t really know how.  But, one can’t deny the beauty of most flowers.  Beautiful because they are so different, while being the same.
            Then I start to think of the other things found in nature that display the same kind of beauty through the diverse workings of our creator.  I consider all the different types of dogs – spotted, short, tall, furry, not-so-furry, long, small, large, fidgety, mild-mannered, aggressive, brown, yellow, black, white, red, tan.  All different, yet still the same – just dogs.  I’m sure you can think of many more examples, I know I can.  Why do we have such a difficult time seeing this same beauty, born of diversity, in the church?

Is Belonging to Jesus a Positive Thing?

            I know my title question almost sounds blasphemous to fellow Christians.  But, I can’t help but wonder if those who are not Christians see Christianity as a positive.  Jesus said, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).  This statement assumes, first of all, that to be His disciples is a good thing.  Secondly, it offers the condition needed to give Christianity a positive view.  They go hand-in-hand.  Without love for one another we Christians don’t present a very appealing picture to the world.  It isn’t just our lack of unity, it is our attitude toward others who don’t agree with us.  Instead of embracing diversity, understanding its strength, we often expect uniformity.  God didn’t create us that way.  He has made us each to be a unique individual.  This diversity is seen throughout His creation.  It is also seen in the New Testament church.  If we take an overview of all the different churches of the Bible, we see no two churches that are alike.  Each one stands out as an individual creation, serving the individual needs of its community.  Interestingly, they were not divided.  These Christians supported other Christians who practiced their faith in manners that were different.  There were some who held to some parts of the law, while others found complete freedom from the law (Romans 14).  Yet, the churches fellowshipped one another and loved one another.  They banded together against the evil of the world, renouncing what was clearly against Christ.  And, even in this, they projected a spirit of love.  Is it any wonder that the church grew then as it has never done since?
            I’m not saying that one should practice their faith in a manner contrary to their own conscience.  Scripture is quite plain on this (Romans 14:23).  What I am saying is that we should not withhold our love and fellowship from another whose conscience is not stricken by the same thing.  Consider the context of that last passage of scripture.  There are weightier matters than those most Christians are divided over.  We are living in a world that is calling right wrong and wrong right, a world that is embracing sexual perversion, murder of unborn babies, Satanism, pagan religions, etc.  If all Christians were to band together and promote the simple gospel of Jesus Christ, endeavoring to bring salvation to everyone, we would not live long enough to reach all the lost.  Indeed, it is a fact when Jesus says, “...wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it” (Matthew 7:13).  If we were to take all professing Christians in the world, the number would be small in comparison to all who are lost.
            I came to the Lord when I was a grown adult.  A fine Christian couple loved me when I was very unlovable, and the led me to the love of Christ.  I have now been a Christian for more than thirty-five years.  However, if this couple would have tried to convert me to a church they would have fallen flat on their face.  Because, when I looked at the church from a worldly perspective I didn’t differentiate between one denomination and another, or one non-denomination and another.  I simply saw a lot of people who called themselves Christians, wanting to share the love of Christ with me, while looking at each other with anything but love.  It was (is) ugly and repulsive.  I think this is why Jesus placed such emphasis on our loving one another.  He knows that without that love for one another, we become nothing more than religious hypocrites.  And, if people see us as His disciples, they see a distorted view of Christ, instead of the Christ we are privileged to know once we obey the gospel.  When we fail to show our love for one another, we shoot ourselves in the foot.  Our words of love to the world become empty and hollow, without true meaning.
            So, yes, belonging to Christ is a positive thing.  I know that, and my fellow Christians know that.  I just want the world to know it too.

Is The Church Handicapped Accessible?

            As the Lord begins His ministry, He enters a synagogue, opens the scripture, and reads from Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19) He then proceeds to tell those present that He was here to fulfill what Isaiah wrote.  And then, in Matthew, just before Jesus preaches the Sermon on the Mount, we read in chapter 4:23-24, that “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.  News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.” (Italics added for emphasis)
            Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that Jesus places a very high priority on ministering to the disabled.  Which brings me to my original question: Is the church handicapped accessible?  And, I’m not talking about ramps and higher toilets with hand-bars on the walls.  Do we place as high a priority on the disabled as the Lord we propose to emulate?  When did you last take the time to visit a shut-in?  I put the church to the test in one small area of the country, by emailing a dozen churches asking if they had anyone who visits the disabled.  Out of these twelve churches I received one response.  Maybe I should be encouraged.  I mean, that’s a higher percentage than the average contribution for we Christians.  Maybe I’m being a little hard on the church.  After all, we are busy people, with little time left over after work and family.  But, I’m not going to let us get off that easy.  Reliable studies have demonstrated that we spend a significant amount of time in front of that box that projects different colors of light into our living rooms, not to mention the internet and other leisure activities.
            It really wouldn’t take that much.  If just a few families in each church would commit an hour a week to one or two disabled people we would probably reach most, if not all, of the disabled in our communities.  That still wouldn’t be as high a priority as Jesus gave this ministry, but it would be a good start!  Think about it.  Most of our shut-ins are people who are not all that different as the rest of us, they just have a physical disability that prevents them from going out.  Can you imagine spending day after day with no conversation?  Even most of those in our prisons have daily conversation.  Our disabled often lead very lonely lives, and it isn’t out of choice.  They aren’t incarcerated because of some wrong they have done.  They aren’t being punished.  They are simply unable to get out on their own.  You could make someone’s entire week with just an hour of conversation.  Furthermore, you would find that the blessings you receive from having shared yourself with one of these in need would exceed multiple hours of television, internet, or any other sort of entertainment.  Try it!  You’ll like it!

Would a Loving God Really Send Anyone to Hell?

            I find it disturbing that there are increasing numbers of Christians who question the existence of hell and Satan.  In defense of their position they ask, “Would a loving God really send anyone to a place like hell?”  In an age where we have come to embrace the concept of grace such as many have never done, this question is difficult for many to answer.  After all, God’s grace is offered to everyone, right?  Furthermore, God is love, right?  Jesus died for the world, for all people.  Who of us have a right to judge anyone else?  I mean, we are all sinners, right?  And, for most of us who are enlightened, hell-fire and damnation sermons are just downright offensive.  We want to reach out to the lost (lost to what?) with the love and grace of God.  Because, we all know that perfect love casts out fear.  If we are uncomfortable around people who are practicing a sinful lifestyle we are branded with all sorts of labels.  We are looked down upon as discompassionate, ignorant, homophobic, legalistic, hard-nosed, holier-than-thou, unenlightened, mean-spirited...the list goes on.  This is not to say that there aren’t those who forget to love the sinner, while hating the sin.  There are all sorts of radical people.  But, are we to turn a blind eye to sin?  Are we to condone sinful activity in the name of God’s grace and love?  Is there no line between good and evil?  Are there no consequences for sin?
            Back to the question of whether or not God would send someone to hell.  It’s too simple to point out that the Bible says He will, even though that is true.  For many, simply because the Bible condemns sinful activity, it isn’t enough.  Our world is filled with supposed scholars who have convinced many that the Bible is  unreliable because of its many translations.  However, those same scholars would stand by the reliability of many secular ancient writings that have also gone through numerous translations.  Given the limited faith of many Christians in the veracity of scripture, allow me to make a logical appeal.  Let’s be honest.  How many of us are comfortable to be in the presence of sinful people?  Even those who are caught up in sin themselves are uncomfortable in the presence of someone who is in the process of committing murder or child molestation.  Would a loving God subject His faithful (not perfect) followers to an eternity of having to rub elbows with those who refuse to give up their sinful activity?  And then, I guess we need to ask ourselves if God is a just God.  Do we really believe that Jesus gave His life so that those who believe in Him might have eternal life and not perish?  Is there really to be no consequence for living a life of sin?  If God is just there must be consequences for those who choose to persist in their sin.  Oh, I know for those of you who still believe in the Bible you are shouting at this point, “IT’S WRITTEN IN GOD’S WORD!”  And, you are right.  However, as I stated earlier, there are many Christians who are being brainwashed by scholars who do not believe.
            I know I’m taking a risk by calling sin what it is, but I feel that I am in good company.  Jesus and His disciples did the same and they were persecuted by the supposed religious scholars of their day.  I feel no compulsion to condone the sinful activity of others.  I feel every compulsion to love them in spite of their sinful activity.  I feel every compulsion to remind them that if they persist in living contrary to God’s will that they will one day face His judgement and that they could very easily be in danger of living for eternity in a place called hell – a place that is reserved for a very real Satan and those who have chosen to follow him.  So, I guess if that makes me a little hard-nosed I can accept that.  However, don’t tell me that I have no compassion, or that I am ignorant, homophobic, legalistic, holier-than-thou, unenlightened, or mean-spirited.  I am none of these, and find people who are to be just as repulsive as those who continue to live in sin.  I am making an appeal to all Christians to stand up for what God does and to remember that He is repulsed by sin.  He, in His unlimited love and grace, has offered a way out of sin for all who chose to have faith in His Son.

Blogging, or Sharing our Journal

            Seems these days that a lot of people are blogging.  Why, even my eleven year old grand-daughter has a blog!  I guess we just like to share with others.  I can only speak for myself, but I find blogging to be a good method of sharing thoughts that I believe are worth sharing.  I write because I like to write, never fooling myself into believing that I am a gifted writer, I just try to put something of value on the printed page.  Whether it is of value or not depends on the reader’s perspective.
            I like people.  I have always like people.  I love to just sit and observe the actions of those around me.  However, the thing I like most about people is our ability to communicate with each other.  Blogging is just another aspect of communication.  So, I write blogs and I read blogs.  Whenever I read a blog I try and leave a comment.  I hardly ever receive a comment on my blogs, but I would like to.  Therefore, as a tenet of the Golden Rule, I leave comments because I would like others to leave comments on my blogs.  However, there are times I leave comments because I’m hoping to spur on a dialogue.  I enjoy a good discussion.  Unfortunately, this hardly ever happens.  Is it because we are just too busy for such a discussion?  I hope that’s it.  It would be sad if it were because we just don’t care to carry on a dialogue with our fellow man.
            Most people journal because they believe they have something important that needs to be preserved for posterity’s sake, and I think this is valid.  Everyone has value and the ideas and thinking that goes into making each of us unique is of infinite worth.  My grand-daughter likes to read, and then share her critique of what she has read.  Are her views any less valid than those written up by book critics?  Of course, I’m her grand-father, but I really like to know how an eleven year old feels about a book she has read.  Furthermore, I enjoy listening to or reading any child’s thoughts on what they have read.  I read another blog written by a fellow who attended a Bible school with me.  I don’t really think he cares whether I do or not, but I find it interesting to see where he has come from and where he is going.  There’s another blog written by a young man in his thirties who was a teen when I preached at his church in Texas.  Again, I find it interesting to read about his life’s journey.  My daughter shares her personal struggles, and the blessings of life she enjoys, through her blog.  She writes well and has something important to say.  I find her blog both enlightening and entertaining.  All of these people blog for different reasons and in various manners.  All are of equal value to me.  The blog gives them a voice, and for those who take the time, that voice enriches their lives.  It only takes a few minutes to click on that link and read what they have to say.  And then, when you’re done reading, take just an extra minute to leave a comment.

Revelation

            A woman from our congregation recently asked me to read a book written by member of our church and then give her my opinion and feedback.  The book is a commentary on the book of Revelation.  As my wife and I sat visiting with this ninety-two year old woman, I briefly scanned the book, noting that it is not written from a scholarly perspective, rather by a man who has spent most of his life doing pulpit work within the Restoration brotherhood.  To be honest, I really wasn’t looking forward to reading what I could see is a book that has very little value to my life, or anyone else’s for that matter.  So, I explained to this fine Christian woman that if she really wanted me to read the book and give her my feedback I would, but first I wanted to give her a short synopsis of my feelings on the book of Revelation.
            Over the years I have found that a lot of new Christians want to study Revelation.  I’m not sure why all the fascination with a book that can be so confusing.  I find that the greatest value comes from the first few chapters, and, quite frankly, most of us don’t really understand their significance.  Jesus speaks to seven churches in Asia and finds serious fault with six of them.  However, all seven are referred to as the Lord’s church.  None of them are alike, they differ from each other in spectacular fashion.  Yet, it would appear they all have fellowship with one another.  If Christendom really understood these first few chapters we would not see the disunity that is so prevalent.  The world would see a church that is diverse, imperfect, and a lot less hypocritical.  They just might see Christ’s love being demonstrated within the church, instead of enmity.  But, we don’t get it.  We would rather point out the flaws of the six churches of Asia and smugly say, “We’re sure glad we aren’t like them!”
            Now we get to the meat of most peoples request to study Revelation – the prophecy.  As a young man, just getting started in ministry, two of my most valued mentors held opposing views of the millennium, which is what most of Revelation is talking about, right?  I mean, we get a glimpse of heaven and hell, but mostly we want to find out about the apocalypse, the end times, Christ’s reign over the earth.  You know, those kinds of things.  In short, the millennium.  Well, one of my mentors was pre-millennial, while the other was post-millennial.  And then to round it out, I tend to be amillennial.  Truth is, no matter which millennial view one chooses, the end result is the same – we win!  Prophetical scripture is interesting with its word pictures and descriptions of things spiritual and other-worldly, but let’s face it.  The only time anyone has known for certain what the prophecy meant is when it is fulfilled and revealed.  Even then, there are those who question the validity of the fulfillment.  It doesn’t take a lot of scholarship to read much of the Old Testament prophecy and see how it was fulfilled in the life and death of Jesus Christ.  However, there are very scholarly people who do not see the fulfillment that seems so obvious to we Christians.
            It just seems to me that we have much more important matters at hand than trying to interpret prophecy that is, or has, coming, or came, or will come, or whatever, to pass.  Aren’t we Christians assured of our salvation?  Don’t we know that however Revelation is interpreted we will be with the Lord for eternity?  If this is so, and it should be, then shouldn’t we be redeeming the time we have in this life in a more productive manner?  I don’t see the apostles spinning their wheels with prophecy.  They were too busy trying to help win the world for Jesus!  Isn’t it enough to be about our Father’s business?  Sure, read Revelation, but read it at face value.  Enjoy it, cherishing it as a portion of God’s word.  Then, turn back to the Gospels and learn more of the Christ, our vanquishing hero of the apocalypse.  Find out how He wants us to live our lives.  See if you are going to have enough time in this life to fulfill His design for our lives.  I just bet you’ll find out that our time is too short to even begin to accomplish the Lord’s edicts.  Oh, by the way, our ninety-two year old friend agreed to not burden either of us with the commentary.  Whew!