And your choice is?

Listening to a minister during a recent church service he made a statement that I found to be very interesting and I thought it to be appropriate for some reflection about his statement in other ways of consideration. His statement was: “I’d rather be close to someone that is just what they are than a phony.” His context was about just hanging out. People that we hold friendship with, those types of individuals others know we are close to because of the times they see you with them in various settings. It was a statement that from observation among those also listening that they agreed. They too seemed to like real people. We all know what a phony is. Someone that is not the person all their efforts would lead you to believe they are. A phony could be described as someone that says one thing or tells others this or that in terms of information or instruction, to only be someone who does the complete opposite of what they would recommend others do.
Professing Christians are unique because of the one in whom they profession their connection and relationship with. It could be said that John Deere lovers wear things all about John Deere, the take pride in the colors and believe that the product is the best machine produced. The same is said for Harley lovers. Sure we don’t want to buy a Honda, we love the sound of that rumble, the shake of that engine that moves the bike, the feel behind those handle bars and the knowledge of what it took to make that purchase. For Christians, the characteristics of Jesus should be just as evident as those that love John Deere, Harley’s or drink only R.C., Coke , or Mt. Dew., but it so often isn’t. Actually it is easy to use these illustrations and say that the priorities of “those folks” are not correct, yet our lives as Christians reflect a much less allegiance so often in our witness or treatment of others or concern for their well being.
So who had you rather hang with, someone that believes what they say or that phony that the minister I have quoted pointed out as a dislike? Questions that come to mind are why are Christian’s not happy people, folks that others want to be around, or as a witness, the type of person that lost folks or even hurting folks would turn to for a listening ear, a suggestive word or help? To many Christians sing about marching forward, but never move. Christians like to sing about that joy, joy, joy down in their heart, but they don’t reflect an attractive spirit to those hurting around them. Struggling thoughts one must deal with in considering why our churches are not growing in big numbers. You would think that as the world’s population experiences more questions about life, more issues about choices, and battle hills to climb that Christians would be the greatest direction signs for neighbors, school friends and co-workers. We don’t wear our colors very well in today’s environment. We are suppose to be people who love neighbors but we don’t open or doors and homes to them. Many Christians only have friends that are from church, we are normally not about meeting new people, listening to wear those we meet have been or the experiences they have had from life. Jesus was all about being us being His eyes, ears, and hands, yet we find greater security in remaining within our strong holds, talking a good talk about what we believe Jesus can do for others, but we refuse to begin friendships because of obvious differences of opinion, thoughts or in most cases, just our own perceived differences. Jesus was certainly not a person to let a perception stop him from being someone’s friend, or hanging out with them!
Not sure where your loyalty lies in the realm of spirituality, friendship, family, or reaching out to others, but we have a great example in Jesus Christ if we would only follow Him, His leadership and the example He set before us. The greatest thing that is so attractive to me personally about Jesus Christ is that His invitation to me, you and all of us is that we “come just as we are”. Not sure why we want to add other conditions for those around us when He didn’t, but I have found a friend in Jesus, and I want to give my efforts to share that with my neighbors and those I meet too, what about you?

Until then

Knoxville Church Shooting - Part III

The past two columns I have written about the tragic church shooting that occurred in Knoxville Tennessee. Those columns have addressed issues about Christianity and where we are as followers of Christ, the condition the average church finds herself in, and what we are doing to make a difference in our communities through involvement in reaching out to others and advancing the cause of Christ through witness and genuine care for others because of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Sad is the day that Christians are so caught up in ourselves that we have taken a sideline position in just watching the world pass us by as we just observe the passing and provide negative comments about all that’s happening as we see it. Sad is the condition when we have confused all the trappings of life and have discovered our own Christianity to be a “ball and chain” instead of a liberating freedom through the forgiveness of sin and a happiness that we discover and the peace that is found in Him.
Conservative Christianity today is like a medal or some type of honor one is crowned with because of a position or belief. Take for instance worship. Perceived conservatives believe worship is about singing hymns, taking up the offering using only church approved ushers or in high church the deacons. Conservative worship is about a choir singing, maybe a soloist singing with the piano, but certainly not a sound track, and perceived conservative worship involves folks shaking the preachers hand when making decisions so things can be official, I guess. However, this is not worship at all. Worship is not about hymns, it’s not about a style of preaching, worship is not about dress or appearance, worship is not at all about these types of things, worship is ALL about Jesus Christ! I am certain that we all know folks that don’t look like us, their clothing is different, and so they cannot possibly know Jesus Christ, right conservative Christian? If we know someone who have been in jail all conservative Christians know that this person is in trouble and their soul is greatly disturbed, right? If you are saying no to this statement then ask yourself when was the last time you know your fellowship of believers attempted to made a difference in this type of situation. I guess it is easy for a traditional church to forget about the scriptures where Jesus said when you visited me in prison, clothed me, feed me, you were doing it unto me, huh?
The fact that I am writing about a traditional church tells you all about the division that has taken place in the body of Christ. Man has made and applied the terms traditional to Jesus, because Jesus certainly did not. We tag the church in Knoxville, the Unitarian Universalist Church, as progressive and we call them out of the main stream, but why? Conservatives will express the opinion that it begins in their name, just look at it. Conservatives would expect something bad to happen at a church like that right? I guess all the traditional conservatives have forgotten that the Apostle Paul wrote we are suppose to “press toward the prize” and if pressing, pushing, going toward the cause of Christ is not progressive, then I don’t know what is, and this is my point. So many Christians believe being progressive is wrong, but I don’t think so. I want to be progressing in my Christian walk and I want to be changing too. I want to grow, I want to learn, I want to follow Jesus, and I will. I do want to swear allegiance to a pastor, minister or denomination. I believe when God’s word says “He so loved the World”, that He does, and my call as a Christian is to help EVERYONE know this, not just the select few or those exactly like me.
God’s word is very clear. He came once as a baby born in Bethlehem, and He is coming again as the King of Kings, and I don’t want to miss watching for His coming, and I don’t want to sit around and just wait for His return either. The call is to go, but I might assume that some churches don’t have the Great Commission in their Bibles anymore.

Until then

Knoxville, Tn - Call to Christian Arms..that's service, not guns!

Having raised the issue of why churches are not more progressive what answers or questions have you pondered? Christians do not have to be folks that run with both arms going in two directions and are feet going in other directions to be busy or affective in reaching folks for Christ. Actually, we need to be much more focused then that four minded unstable condition. The Bible encourages Christians to be focused and purposed in our actions, all the while consider His call on our lives and His will in view of our talents and skills.
Many of our churches today have become resting points in the midst of busy weeks, instead of planning and filling stations that direct us and empower individuals to make a difference where God has planted us. I am certain that honest folks sitting in the pews will agree with that statement while others will be offended and upset that anyone would even challenge their mission, ministries or activities. I guess I should point out that if that be your position you have already missed the point all together. The call to Christians to assemble is not at all about what we would want to do, but rather what Christ would have us to do. The call to our mission is about leading people to Jesus, and if we are honest as Christians and as a church, we are missing the mark daily in reaching lost people groups here within our own communities. Consider the fact that many churches do not even have children or youth ministries. Consider the mark we are missing. It’s not my words, but God’s Word that says we are suppose to train up a child in the admonition of the Lord, so when they grow old they will not stray. Who do we consider this responsibility to fall upon if not the church? Sure, it would be nice if parents were involved in their children’s lives, but can we wait around for someone else to get the message and not act now? Most adults do a great job of pointing out all the issues and problems teenagers are involved in or create, but what commitment have we made to provide a chance or opportunity for them to not just see, but learn of another way?
Our ministries are so filled with just busy time stuff, but why not focus on one family or two in a church that are dealing with the issue of drugs and begin the attempt to mentor, be a listening ear, provide a helping hand to these types of struggles and battles that we know exist within our neighbors? Honestly, I cannot think of a greater involvement for the church then to provide assistance and help in this area. I don’t know of a church that has not been affected by this issue, I only know churches that have taken no actions to address these concerns. It is hard to believe with all the public information about this problem why are churches still are not sponsoring meetings such as AA or some type of drug support system for those who desire to be free of such vices. After all, these vices would be those of the devil and why we would not want to set people free through the introduction of Jesus, His acceptance of them as they are, and introduction of His plan for their lives is really beyond my mind of thinking as a Christian. I wonder what the reaction would be if I placed a call to the drug court in our county and just asked, what churches provide any assistance to those involved in this program through the courts? Certainly there are some church members that are involved and even some churches that participate, but how effective would the program be if a united front for the cause of Christ was present?
Again, I am certain that some would believe this type of involvement would be to progressive and outside of the calling of Christ, but I cannot help but think of who it was He did reach out to in view of who most of us as Christians reach out to. His actions should be so challenging to us, why are we not doing more? What has happened inside our church walls that have caused us to keep most of the doors locked almost all of the time, and our community presence delegated to a sign on the side of the road and maybe a local cable advertisement that promotes the times we conduct our local services and meetings? The church shooting in Knoxville, Tennessee should be a wake up call. Review of the local newspaper of folks arrested and the citations written and the crimes charged with should be a wake up call. The family members and friends that we claim to love and care about should be a wake up call and a call to action, but maybe not.
It could be that our sense of pride would be destroyed if we helped those not like us. It could be our character might be called into question if we were seen offering support or being a friend to someone that we considered to be “in sin”.
Not sure what the reasons are we have not filed into a mighty marching army of Christians but we all know that hasn’t happened yet.

Until then

Knoxville, TN - Church shooting over progressive agenda

The recent church shooting that occurred on a Sunday morning in Knoxville, Tennessee should cause all who bear and confess the name of Jesus Christ to immediate alarm and duty. It is hard to imagine, but it happened. While children were performing before church members, attendees, and visitors, in walks a confessing Christian who opens gunfire upon them, because he was not pleased with the churches recent progressive steps and what he considered to be a liberal agenda.
Now I’m confident that there are enough opinions about this event to fill the newspapers of Southern Kentucky and East Tennessee for the remaining days of this year. There are elements of this event and this mans actions that should cause Christians everywhere to desire to step up and make a difference, if we believe Jesus Christ intended on us doing such. There should be no doubt, this column is written to Christians, not church leaders, although church leaders should be Christians. This is written to all of us who sit in a pew, claim membership on a church roll, act or lead folks to believe we are Christians. I am bothered, disturbed, and often wonder what our churches are doing for the cause of Christ. Sure we have services on Sunday, offer some activities during the week such as a Bible study, prayer meeting, or maybe even a regular preaching-singing service, and these are all good and have their place, but what are we doing beyond this?
In Knoxville, TN., this upset former church member walked into the church took aim upon those there, hurt, killed and has impacted even those not attending that service or members of that congregation. If this is what a conservative is, I know I don’t want to be called one. Actually when Jesus Christ came into my heart he liberated me, by removing my sins from me, He set me free. If this is a conservative, I am not one. I am not tied to my sins anymore since Jesus paid the price for my personal sins on the cross! I am free, the scripture say not only am I free, but He has given me an abundant life because of that freedom and removal of that debt, which I owed, because of His actions, not mine. All any one needs to give me credit for is having enough understanding to know that Jesus Christ loved me so, that He gave His only Son, to take my place.
This event in Knoxville happened for many reasons. It happened because there was not a clear teaching about who and what Jesus was about. Some will now say Amen, thanks, but hold on. It’s not because of the churches teaching and actions of welcoming all people, this happened because this individual missed what the love of God and His purpose in sending His Son to us is about. Jesus Christ is not about condemnation, but about getting out of mud and on a solid rock. Jesus Christ is not about folks finding no answers or solutions, after all He came to seek and save that which was lost. I would write one of the issues happening in our churches is that we are not accepting of people who don’t act like us, talk like us, live like us, or we perceive are simply no one of us. If you believe this is Christ like actions in this line of thinking, think again, because Jesus ran to those that were down and out. Jesus looked up into trees for those that were hurting, he provided us story after story in His word about restoring those that had gone from home and discovered themselves in pits with hogs. Many of our churches today continue to miss what the church is suppose to be about. It is suppose to be a hospital for the sick. The church should be a shelter from the storms of life, and a resting haven for the weary souls traveling. The truth is most churches are clubs who have events for themselves, dinners for themselves, and cater to one another’s needs repeatedly, without ever offering assistance to those on the outside of her doors.
Why is it we not involved in our communities? Why is it we think social issues are the governments problems? Why do we always blame the problems on someone else and attempt to think up some organization we could create to address such needs? The best organization for making a difference already exist, it’s the church. The church is suppose to be filled with people that remember when judging others that they too could be just as guilty and or find themselves in such a position if caught unaware by the devil and his tactics. What about a church that remembers LOVE is the greatest thing? The scripture says love is greater then hope and faith, in case you have not read that in awhile. I don’t have all the answers, but I do know the example to follow!