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