A LINE IN THE SAND: Homosexuality and Gay Marriage

I want to preface this writing with one non-negotiable: I do NOT believe homosexuality is a choice.  If you have any friends, co-workers, family members, or anyone else that you care for who have same-sex leanings, you will know that (or should).   While the reasons for homosexuality have been debated over and over, no one knows why a person’s psychological make up gives way to this, nor why God allows this.  But it is an un-chosen path many face.

Secondly, I want you to know that I have a partner in life who commits to read these blog entries and give me a thumbs up or thumbs down before I ever publish them. Her approval is critical, because I value her opinion and I trust her walk with God. Her biggest concern with this blog entry? "This is such a controversial topic...I don't want to lose any friends over you sharing your opinion." The mere fact that this is a concern of hers is a strong indicator of the dysfunction that exists in many circles of Christianity and our churches today: "Believe exactly what I believe...no room for other opinions because my understanding of Truth is the only one that is acceptable."  I pray that our friends have room for our questions, even if they run contrary to their beliefs and opinions.

I just read an article about The Family Foundation, a Christian group that is calling for 40 Days of Prayer, Fasting and Repentance for Marriage in light of the many referendums and challenges and debates regarding gay marriage.  It’s funny how some of the media outlets have called it a 40-day hunger strike.  They obviously know nothing about the spirituality of fasting, nor the significance of 40 days of fasting.

Reading this article prompted me to share my thoughts and questions and meanderings regarding this hot topic.  As a counselor and minister, and as a friend, I have encountered more than a few people who have had same-sex attractions. I’ve seen the damage that the world has caused them, and I’ve seen the lack of love the Church has shown them.  I’ve watched the LGBT community activists force their view onto those who have true religious convictions.  All sides of this issue have often made me cringe when I try to comprehend it under the umbrella of Christ’s love.   

I have been all over the place regarding same-sex marriage.  I have people from every walk of my life who are gay and whom I love.  I also have dear friends who I respect and admire and love who stand firmly against same-sex relationships.  I have heard and read just about every argument for and against gay marriage and practicing homosexuality, and I am usually swayed a little each time I hear the “facts” as presented by either side.

What does the Bible say about homosexuality and gay marriage? When it comes to many current issues, I often struggle with the words I read in Scripture, their literal meanings, their perceived meanings, their cultural meanings, and their Old Covenant meanings vs. New Covenant meanings.  What do I believe?  Do I believe the Word I read as it is, interpreted to me by my own life experiences and by what the Holy Spirit tells me?   Do I believe the seminary-trained theologian, who themselves in turn have been influenced by other people who come from completely different life and spiritual experiences than myself?  Do I believe the various denominational leaders and historical church councils who have bartered and compromised and voted to adopt creeds and “official” understandings of Scripture and religious dogma to suit their agendas?  Do I believe the Word as it is preached and taught by pastors who dedicate their lives to sharing the Gospel, yet are as human and screwed up and have the same thought processes as you or me?  Do I believe fresh interpretations and understandings of the various Greek and Hebrew texts based on today's customs and culture rather than ancient customs and culture?

I BELIEVE GOD’S WORD.  It’s just that I have so many questions about who’s interpretation I stand by, especially concerning current social and moral issues. 

A friend recently posted a thought about our need for an “unmovable standard”.  Basically, what he was saying was that there has to be a line drawn in the sand somewhere and we need to accept the Scripture’s moral compass settings. Otherwise, what is to keep us from accepting anything as “normal”, be it gay marriage or polygamy or something as extreme as beastiality?

I get that.  What keeps our society from anarchy are the laws and standards we live by.   What keeps our spiritual lives God-pleasing are the standards God has shown us in Scripture.  But (1) that still doesn’t address the questions I have mentioned above about how we interpret the Bible and whose interpretation we believe, which ultimately affects what we believe about those biblically-based standards; and (2) what would have happened generations ago had we drawn that line in the sand accepting those biblically-based standards that people used regarding slavery, women’s rights, rights for minorities, mixed-race marriages, and divorce?  Each of those issues were argued against using God’s Word.  And now homosexuality and same-sex marriage are on the same burner of intense scrutiny.

Do we Christians play buffet-style religion with regards to gay marriage and same-sex relationships? There are more than a few directives given in the New Testament that the church has ignored or explained away.  Any Christian women out there adorn their bodies with gold or pearls?  Cut their hair?  Speak in church?  Any Christian men out there with long hair?  When was the last time your church had a pot luck and invited the poor, maimed, blind and lame?  Have you taken out any loans recently?  You see, each of these things are specifically spoken to in the New Testament.  No ifs, ands, or buts. Yet the majority of New Testament churches do not adhere to what the Bible says about these.  Where is the line in the sand with these issues?

Another issue my mind stumbles over when debating scriptural literacy and homosexuality is relatively new in the past few decades:  acceptance of divorce and remarriage in the church.  How many of our churches have faithful, loving, giving, committed divorced and remarried people serving in them?  Bible study leaders, deacons, elders, musicians, and even pastors?  The New Testament, even Jesus’ own words, tells us that to remarry after divorce (except in the case that the original marriage ended because of adultery) is to live in adultery.  Therefore, if we are to follow exactly that line in the sand that the Bible gives us regarding divorce and remarriage, doesn’t that mean that we’ve allowed and accepted on-going adultery into our churches?  And if you do a simple search of Scripture, you’ll find that there are many more warnings and statements about divorce than about homosexuality.

It seems to me that the church has a history of reexamining spiritual truths and standards in light of grace, forgiveness, cultural acceptance, and new understandings of Jesus’ teachings.  Is it wrong that we’ve reexamined the Scriptures that deal with remarriage and accepted this in our churches?  Is it wrong that we’ve reexamined the Scriptures regarding women and jewelry and allowed that in our churches?  Should homosexuality and gay marriage be reexamined in our churches today, just as slavery was, just as women’s rights were, et el?

I don’t have a clear answer.  But I think I have a clear thought process.

For me, it boils down to this:  on one hand is belief in the literal, black-and-white reading and blunt understanding of the Bible, without room for new interpretation or reexamination; on the other hand is belief that is based on grace, on soul competency/the priesthood of the believer…we each are personally responsible for how we read and interpret the Scripture…and on the on-going dynamic individual relationship we each have with Christ.  I don’t believe that the Bible ever changes, but I believe our understanding and interpretations of it are ever-fluid, ever-growing, ever-changing as we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.”

I guess my questions are summed up here: can the same God who allows men with long hair in our churches also allow gay marriage? Can the same God that has allowed women to take leadership roles in churches and in worship also allow homosexual relationships?  If the church has deemed once non-acceptable things as now acceptable, why draw the line with this one issue?  Is that God speaking, or is it man speaking what they want God to say?

I don’t claim to have an answer for anyone other than myself.  In fact, I don’t really have an answer at all…I have a lot of questions.  However, on my own spiritual journey, I firmly believe that not everything is as black-and-white as some would have you believe.  I may be wrong…but I may not.  However, if I am going to be wrong, I will err on the side of grace, the side of love, and on my own personal promptings of the Holy Spirit and interpretations of the Word.  I will err on the side that casts shame and hatred to the pits of hell.

My eternal salvation does not rest on what I believe on homosexuality and gay marriage.  I challenge each of us to not make someone else’s salvation rest on that either.  Let's stop demonizing one another's beliefs, from the fundamentalist conservative Believer to the LGBT activist, let's commit to honor one another in Christ's love, and let's leave the judging up to the Almighty. 

DADDY'S ROAR

Part of my spiritual journey the last few years has involved an emotional journey, an unwrapping and unpacking of things I never thought needed to addressed.  But coming to terms with my past has opened the door to coming to terms with my today.  Or at least cracked the window.  Why do I want to bare my soul like this post and the previous one?  Because I'm learning I'm not alone.  Maybe, just maybe, if someone had bared their soul to me years ago, I'd be further along on my journey.  So I pray that my openness may bring someone further along on their walk.

I grew up on a small family farm. During my early years it was a dairy farm. During my adolescent years it was a little of everything: beef cattle, goat, chickens, rabbits, ducks, you name it. Daddy simply enjoyed the country and raising animals. He was proud to provide sustenance for his family from the fruits of his labor. Milk (both cow and goat!), meat, eggs, butter, as well as money from the sale of those.

I have vivid memories of Daddy coming to my rescue on that farm. One time as I was sitting on top of a stack of hay he was pulling with a tractor, we hit a bump and I tumbled. In a split second Daddy was off the tractor and able to catch me before I hit the ground. Another time I decided to ride a young calf. I remember sneaking up behind that yellow hefer and jumping on its back. It bucked me off, I hit the ground hard, and the next thing I remember is Daddy picking me up off the manure-covered lot and cradling me in his arms. Yet another time while most of the family was at the barn, I was home jumping on my bed. I took a tumble, busting my head on the corner of the bed frame. I remember running down the path to the barn, screaming with blood pouring out of my head, and Daddy racing toward me, then scooping me up with Momma close behind. Daddy wanted my best. He wanted to protect me and take care of me.

But Daddy had another side. You see, he was a roar-er. You never knew when he would have a burst of anger or impatience and let out a roar. It may be toward one of the farm animals, or it may be toward one of us.

He would break cows’ tails. Seriously. In case you’ve never been in an active dairy barn, cows are lured (with a trough of grain) one at a time into a stanchion, which is a device that a cow will stick its head through, then the farmer will lock it to keep them immobilized during the milking process while they munch their grain. We had two rows of stanchions, and each row held about 8 cows. The stanchions were fairly close together. Sometimes, while locked in its stanchion, a cow would swing its tail at just the right second and knock Daddy’s cigarette out of his mouth. Or they would kick out with their hind legs and give him a whack on the leg. Dad’s response would be to roar loudly, then grab the poor creature’s tail and wrench it, sometimes breaking it. We had more than a few cows with crooked tails. Or sometimes he would beat the cow’s hind quarters with his fist and forearm while they twisted and jumped and bellowed.

Daddy would roar at us too. I always hated when cows escaped their pasture. That meant we had to chase them down and round them up, often the whole family involved in the process. Imagine that you’re a little seven-year-old kid with a bunch of cows running toward you, and your job was to not let them get past you. It’s cold, it’s dark, your rubber boots are slipping in the mud, and Daddy’s roaring. Roaring at the cows, and then roaring at you because they ran past you and you couldn’t stop them. Roaring at you as he ran past, having to undo what you did wrong.

Other roaring incidents stand out in my memory.  Many times during family get-togethers, something would happen that would cause Daddy to roar and storm out of the house, leaving the rest of us in awkward silence and tears around the dinner table. In my later teens, I started going after him, finding him and begging him to stop and come back inside. More often than not he would turn that roar on me for bothering him.

Daddy would roar if I didn’t hold the flashlight steady while he worked on something. He would roar at my mom and tell her he was going to leave us. He would roar at my brother-in-law for who knows what. (I think it was simply because there were finally other men in the family who weren’t afraid to question him.) He would roar at my sisters. He would roar at his father, Granddaddy Chapman, when they would talk St. Helena Parish politics.

Please don’t misread me…I loved my Daddy. But I was scared of him. The roars terrified me. Even after he made a life-changing commitment to Christ during my later high school years. Even after he became known in his senior adult years as a gentle, kindly man. It was engrained in me to be scared of him. Until his last days on this earth and I was already a middle-aged man, if I had to question him or disagree with him about something, my voice would shake and my heart would race.

As far back as I can remember, I’ve sung songs about God the Father. Abba Father. Loving, faithful Father. I’ve always wanted to feel those songs, to connect with the image of that father-figure God. But it’s been like a distant fog. It will not click. I believe in God. I believe He loves me. I believe He knows me. I believe He desires a relationship with me. But God the Father? That’s not a good thing for me. I don’t like to hear or read about God the Father.

My journey these last few years has provided me the opportunity to seek counseling, and a common thread has included coming to terms with Daddy. Before, I poo-pooed the idea that his behaviors would have any affect on my adult life. That was just psycho babble...an excuse...someone to blame for my own weaknesses and lack of character. But I'm slowly learning it’s not psycho babble, nor an excuse. I’m slowly accepting that the affects of a roaring daddy are long-term and real on his children.

Why does that matter at this stage of my life? I think because I want to understand, accept, and trust God as my heavenly Father. I need to understand, accept, and trust God as my heavenly Father.

But also because I inherited some of my Daddy’s roaring tendencies, and I hate it. I want to cap those roars, to tender those red-hot responses that sometimes make their way up my throat, over my vocal cords, and past my lips.

And I want my kids to have a healthy understanding and acceptance of God the Father.

Are you a roar-er? If so, I welcome you to the journey of silencing those roars.  Your life may not depend on it, but someone else's may.  

THE DANDELION IN MY LAWN

I'll admit up front that I have a blasted melancholy-type personality. I try to keep it shoved down, but sometimes it shoots up like a dandelion in the middle of a perfectly groomed yard. And here it is today. I haven't felt this weary in a while. But I'm weary. "Come to me all who are weary" weary. 

Maybe it's because of my surgery and I'm tired of being limited during the recovery process.

Maybe it's because I've yet to find anything that I'm professionally competent at since I left my career and ministry in the church. 

Maybe it's that I haven't allowed myself to find a church home. I've tried going to my old church, but I just feel too radioactive, too needy there, and I feel too wrapped up emotionally to be a part of the changes and struggles going on there now. But I miss the everyday casual friendships of church.  I miss the church office comradery. I miss being needed, wanted.

Maybe I miss using my creativity. I've had to be creative for as long as I remember, now I just...am. I'm finding some release through writing. I've made a couple of silly YouTube videos which were really fun but embarrassingly stupid. Sadly I don't have the personality of a Mark Lowry. I'm a wanna be.

Maybe I miss music. I don't miss singing or performing or directing. But I miss the emotion, the feeling. I used to feel competent with music. (But I guess that depended on who you talked to.) I would love to be able to create lyrics and melodies, to musically emote this melancholy personality I've been cursed/blessed with. But who in the hell has time for that kind of time-consuming creativity with an active family and two yards to maintain and a job and too many TV shows to catch up on the DVR? 

Maybe I'm weary because I've had to come to terms with the fact that I'm not the greatest husband and dad. In fact, I've sucked at it more often than not. After 50 years of living, one would think I would have a better grip on it. Be a better provider. A better lover. A better DIYer. Less lazy. Less fat.

My journey as of late has barely skirted the path that runs beside the bog and swamp. Yet who am I to complain? Some friends of mine are putting their little 7 month old daughter's body in the ground today. They have the right to be weary. I'm just a complainer when compared. I get it: in the grand scheme of life, I should be ashamed that I'm at a low point. I'm selfish. It's all about me and what I'm not getting or feeling or being given.

A lobotomy would be nice right now. But I don't think our insurance would cover it. And I think my wife would get a little pissed. 

Today, I just need to find God in the weariness. See Him in the mourning of my friends at their baby's funeral. Acknowledge Him in the fragrance of our blooming wisteria vine. Look for Him in the wind with the floating dandelion seeds. Maybe I'm just supposed to be weary right now.  Maybe Christ wants to use my weariness to cause me to turn to Him. Maybe He wants me to share my weariness for you, so that you can remember that you're not alone in your weariness.

Maybe.

“Come to Me , all of you who are weary and burdened , and I will give you rest.  All of you, take up My yoke and learn from Me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light .”

NOAH

I love going to the movies. I’m not a fanatic, I can’t quip lots movie dialogue off the top of my head, and there are a lot of movies I don’t go see. But I love going to the movies. By myself, with family, with friends, it doesn’t matter to me who I’m with, I just love sitting back with my buttered popcorn and Dr. Pepper and being transported into another world.

I have been excited to see the Noah movie starring Russell Crowe since the first previews were shown. Action, supernatural, special effects, panoramic…all things I like in a movie.

Enter those negative Christians.

Everywhere I turn I’m reading another pastor or Christian blogger who is warning all Believers to “stay away” and “avoid” this movie. They’ve got tons of reasons to convince you to not see this movie: it’s not theologically correct, God and Noah’s relationship in the movie isn’t what they were taught in Sunday School, the ark landed on a mountain, not on a cliff, Noah is presented as an “environmentalist”, etc., etc., blah, blah.

But I still can’t wait to see it.

The story of Noah is one of the coolest stories in the Bible. I dare say that nearly everyone, Believer or not, knows this story. I don’t ever remember a big screen movie being made about Noah and the Ark. I’m pumped to see their visual interpretation of the flood and the ark and the gathering of animals.

I’m excited that someone had a vision to make a movie about Noah. He was a great guy, but he was messed up too. Well, he got drunk. And he slept naked. I don’t know if that makes someone messed up, but it sure makes them, well, human. I mean, this guy “walked with God” and was considered righteous and blameless, and here he is getting drunk and going commando. I want to see this guy on the big screen!

There is a lot the Bible doesn’t tell us about Noah and his family and the ark. What were his emotions? Did he question or doubt? The Bible is clear that he obeyed God, but the guy was human and had human thoughts and struggles. What about his family and their doubts and fears? What about the people that were left to drown in the waters? Did they clamor to get on the ark once the waters started rising? What about the “sons of God and daughters of man”? The Nephilim?

There is so much theological discourse and disagreement on the scriptures in Genesis 6 that one needs to pore through several Bible commentaries just to get a general handle on all the ideas floating around out there about the days of Noah. I think it is awesome that a filmmaker somewhere decided to tackle some of these ideas and present them in a cinematic way. They may not be the ideas that the local seminary teaches, but so what? I don’t always want to have to depend on Biblical scholars for my understanding of the Scripture. I’m safe and secure enough in my beliefs to be able to see someone else’s interpretation without thinking they’re going to hell or trying to lead me to hell.

I have no idea if the movie Noah is going to be worth the time or the bucks I’ll be laying down. I may leave the theater disappointed. I may leave the theater disappointed and frustrated. I may even leave the theater and tell others, “That movie’s not worth your time!” But I’m going to see that movie. I’m really looking forward to being entertained by something that was inspired by one of the coolest stories in the Bible.

And you know what? I bet a lot of non-Believers are going to see that movie too, and then do just what a number of kids did after they saw the Harry Potter movies: go read the book. In this case, though, they’ll be reading The Book. I think that’ll make God pretty happy. And I think that’s pretty cool.

Part 2 - MISSED YOU AT CHURCH SUNDAY

A man got lost as he was driving on a business trip.  Seeing a farmer mending fences next to the road, he stopped to ask directions.

Businessman: “Excuse me, sir, can you tell me where Highway 35 is?”

Farmer: “Uh, nope. I don’t rightly know.”

Businessman: “Oh, ok. How about Interstate 49, do you know how to get to that?”

Farmer: “No sir, I sure don’t.”

Businessman: “Hm. Then can you point me in the direction of the town Grangerville?”

Farmer: “Sorry bub, I just don’t know.”

Businessman: “Man! You don’t know much, do ya?!”

Farmer: “Sure don’t. But I ain’t lost.”

Back in the day when I used to do concerts and retreats and seminars I would tell this joke.  Not only was it good for a laugh, it also communicated a little bit of truth:  oftentimes I don’t feel like I know much…I sometimes have more questions than answers. But in the long run I know I’m not lost. 

I know I’m not “lost” on this church thing, but neither do I have all the answers.  My questioning and thoughts on my last blog about church stirred the pot quite a bit.  Lots of readers, lots of comments, lots of sharing my site with others. Fortunately, no one was in-your-face ugly to me. Bear with me as I dive in this subject one more time to clarify some things, reply to some feedback, and encourage those that think I’ve become one egg short of a dozen.

Yes, I had a rough go of it the last few years as a career minister. (Side bar - there are so many titles when you serve in a church:  minister, called-staff, pastoral associate, career minster, etc., etc.  Just know that I use all of those terms interchangeably without thought to a deeper meaning.) No details, but suffice it to say that my questionings of today come from the struggles of the past.  It taints my view of everything “church.” HOWEVER, I’m also a mature (and maturing) Believer who is staying true to Philippians 2:12:  “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”  I’m not satisfied to remain settled, set and stiff-necked in what has always been.  I want to continually seek that true, open, honest, transparent relationship with the Three in One, even if it means turning some of my former understandings on their head.

I stand by my statement that most Believers of this day and age tend to have lost sight of true church.  I believe we have settled for the brick-and-mortar church over the person-to-person church that Christ intended. For the most part, I see today’s church more like a club, where everyone tends to look the same, act the same, smell the same, and invite people who are the same. We pay our membership fees (tithes or donated items) and in return we expect to get fed and be comfortable and claim selfish ownership. (I’m not foolish enough, though, to believe that every church is this way, but in my own experience this is more than true.)

The Matthew 18:20 church that I referenced in my last blog is the person-to-person church that I believe Christ intended true church to be.  Now hear me:  I am not saying that corporate, organized gatherings of Believers is wrong.  I do believe that Paul’s and the Apostles’ examples of ministry in structured groups of Believers teaches us that these are good and important gatherings.  I also believe that many of the spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit gives us are for these corporate times.

Wait a minute, Deloy.  You’re talking out of both sides of your mouth.

No I’m not.  What I am saying is that instead of being about relationships (both with God and man), the red-bricked, stained-glassed church of today has let the person-to-person church go by the wayside.  It’s become all about “y’all come” instead of “let’s go be Jesus.”  It’s become all about selfish desires of the few instead of everyone being open to where God is leading.  It’s become dependent on pastors and ministers satisfying our needs instead of allowing them to lead us to meet other’s needs.  It’s created CEO pastors instead of pastors that can be our friends and co-laborers in Christ.

Am I crazy? Have I lost my spiritual eyesight because of some crappy experiences? 

Maybe so, maybe not. I'm trying to figure this out.  But I do have more than a little experience to speak from.  That said, here’s a few things I personally think the carpeted, air-conditioned churches of today need to do to be more like the true person-to-person church that God intended:

*Get rid of Sunday night programs and instead go out into the world.  Go rake leaves (unannounced) at someone’s house.  Go to the local restaurant and sit at the bar, order a drink (alcohol or not, your choice) and get to know the sinners sitting there.  (I promise, there’s almost always a handful of lonely people sitting there.)  Go hold a nursing home resident’s hand and watch TV with them.  Buy some burgers and walk around downtown handing them out to the homeless. QUIT MAKING CHURCH ABOUT YOU and go out to the world!

*Take pastors out of the business of having to be Chief of Operations at the church.  They should be all about preaching the Word and leading you to serve others.  Piling on so many expectations of the ministerial staff will do one of two things:  make them isolated, over-whelmed, negative, fearful or make them out-of-touch power seekers, or a combination of both.   

*Quit expecting the ministerial staff be the hospital visitors, sick-people-prayers, crisis attenders.  When did we ever get to a point that paid staff members are supposed to take our places in ministry?  Those ministries have been assigned to every one of Christ’s followers.  Do we pay our ministers to take our place ministering?  Yes, I’m afraid we do. That needs to stop.

*Consistently meet in homes.  That brick-and-mortar building should not be the only place for corporate church.  It should be in our neighborhoods and homes on a regular basis.  Otherwise, we isolate that organized body of Believers from the very ones we should be near.

*Quit making our sanctuaries some holy, sacred, hats-off, no-drinks-or-food-allowed place.  We gather to worship the Godhead who lives in us, not in that cavernous auditorium.  The sanctuary is simply a room where we get together.  It is NOT the Holy of Holies.  (In fact, if I remember my scripture correctly, when Christ died the veil separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the world was torn.)  Stop making your traditional beliefs into something spiritual so that everyone feels required to do what you want them to do.

*Stop being a performance-driven church.  (Hold on to yer hat with this one.)  I believe that huge “outreach” programs have become an excuse for us to not go out into our world.  We spend tremendous amounts of money and time on performances and programs to get people to come to us instead of us meeting their needs where they are.  Sure, the intention is good, hoping people will come to hear about Christ.  But such emphasis requires too much selfish (church-only) preparation time. And these “outreaches” can easily become idols and sacred cows.  Also 99.9% (ok, another number I pulled out of the air) of the folks that attend are already Believers. “But what about the non-Believers that attend?” Well, I betcha Christ would rather you go to those unBelievers one-on-one, and create personal relationships with them.  I’ve been a part of this performance culture, and I can state for a fact that no matter how hard it’s tried, those non-Believers are rarely, if ever, ministered to on a personal basis once they leave the walls of that building. It simply turns into a numbers game, whether we intend it to or not. “Oh, we had 1,000 people attend our Jesus Festival Concert! Praise the Lord!”  “Did you hear how many people raised their hands during the invitation?!”  “Let’s try to get over 100 people in choir for this performance! God is worthy of our participation.” (I don’t believe these outreaches are inherently bad.  I just believe the church needs to re-think and re-look at how these are carried out.)

OK, this was a lot of stuff.  I hope I’ve made my thoughts clear and my intentions have been expressed nobly.  I do believe that there is a place for corporate church and church-in-a-building.  I simply don’t believe that it is what it’s supposed to be today.  I think it needs to be more servant-hearted and less self-serving.  More people-church, less building-church.

Am I crazy? 

Feel free to leave a comment on this blog page.  You'll simply need to assign it to "anonymous". 

MISSED YOU AT CHURCH SUNDAY

Have Believers lost the true meaning of CHURCH?  I never really questioned this until I joined the ranks of Christian misfits. You know what I mean: the older single person that goes to a congregation with no singles ministry; the bus ministry kids; the lone African American person or family in an all-white fellowship; the Christian struggling with an ongoing addiction; the homosexual looking for a place to worship;  the family who can't find a Bible study class for their special needs child; the separated Christian couple on the verge of divorce; the burned-out religion-weary former minister.....

Press any Evangelical Christian to answer the question, "What is church?" and they will more than likely respond with, "It's a body of Believers" (that's church-speak for "it's a group of people who say Jesus Christ is their Savior"), and then they'll most probably mention Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there among them.” That's what I grew up believing. Yet truth be known, 95% of Christians out there  (ok, I admit I pulled that number out of the air) don't consider "church" to be "church" unless they've entered that red bricked, white-steepled building, listened to a preacher and sung songs led by a worship leader.  Would you agree with me on that? (I don't like to be wrong...you know I'm right.)

I am definitely not one that believes anymore that "church" has to be a service in a sanctuary, or a chapel, or even a Sunday School classroom. I am more and more convinced that church is also whenever me and any other Believer(s) get together and our conversation becomes spiritual. Period. No worship leader, no preacher, no pews, no Bible necessary. Matthew 18:20 all the way, baby.  I believe that when my friend Randy was in town and made it a point to come visit me in my office and we talked about our kids and our jobs and our spiritual journeys, that was church.  And we didn't even pray (not even a blessing over our Sonic lunch...gasp).  I believe that when a co-worker and I had a conversation in the warehouse about a new praise song and how much it meant to each of us, that was church.  I believe that when my oldest daughter and I had a conversation about what God was showing me about prayer, that was church. 

Which leads me to this: have you ever told anyone (or been told), "I've missed seeing you at church."? Do you know what that statement means to me nowadays? It means we think you should get up off of your butt and meet us in that red bricked, white-steepled building on Sunday mornings because we're too busy and you're not quite important enough for us to make the effort to "be church" with you any other time or any other place.  We'll be glad to do church with you if it revolves around that building and its property and its programs and you make the effort to attend. But any other time and place that requires MY effort to come to you? Sorry...I'm too busy getting ready for meeting-in-the-building church to BE the church.

Yes, I said that. It may not be as callous as I make it out to be, but I believe it still boils down the same.

So, as one who now resides on the Island of Misfit Christians, I'm not quite sure about that big, carpeted, stained-glassed building.  In fact, it intimidates me and makes me anxious. But I am interested in church.  Matthew 18:20 church. Me-and-you church. 

(I think my copy of the Baptist Faith and Message just spontaneously combusted.  That's ok.  I don't need it to have church.....)

BILL NYE, THE SCIENCE GUY

I am a Believer.  I am saved.  God sent His Son Jesus, Jesus died for my sins and rose again, and the veil separating me from God was forever torn.  I am Heaven-bound.  I say that simply to remind you of that fact as I verbalize my spiritual questionings.

I have yet to read anything about the big debate between Ken Ham and Bill Nye.  I haven’t clicked on any FB links or read any news articles.  But the whole Christians-debating-others thing is sort of disgusting to me.  Here’s why:

1) In my humble opinion, Believers trying to convince non-Believers of anything scriptural or spiritual except for the saving grace of Christ is fruitless and a waste of time.  How in the Sam hill can anyone expect a non-Believer to grasp and understand the supernatural things of our Scripture?!? Believers have the Holy Spirit to help them discern and understand and trust Truth.  Without the Holy Spirit, it’s like trying to convince someone who has never seen or felt or tasted or understood the concept of water that an ocean exists.

2) Nowadays I question whether God cares that people believe the Bible’s many stories “literally”.  Whether biblical history occurred exactly as it’s spoken in the Bible, or whether God’s Scripture-writers used story and allegory DOES NOT MATTER.  (Yes ma'am, I can say that now.)  It is the understanding and concept of God’s plan for mankind that matters.  You want to get stuck arguing that creation occurred exactly as Scripture says?  I would rather spend my time in realizing, through the story of creation, what a big God I have and that He cares enough about me to want a personal relationship with me and that He can create something out of nothing.  I don’t care if the Earth is 6,000 years old or if it’s millions of years old.  What you or I personally believe about that doesn’t mean diddly squat in the scheme of God’s love.

3) Jesus spoke in story and allegory all the time.  Who is to say that the Scripture-writers didn’t use the same method to share God’s truths?  If it was a good enough teaching method for Christ, do you think it could be good enough for the rest of Scripture?

In my lifetime I’ve seen and read about denominations in uproar, church members being asked to leave, and church congregations splitting over the debate of the “literacy” of Scripture.  I bet that makes God so proud.  I think He’d be much prouder if those denominations, church members and congregations spent more time loving each other and loving Him.

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