Filed under: Church
OK, I know I have already blogged today but I ran across something that was truly amazing. Therefore I am blogging again. Let me share with you what church life was like back in Colonial America in 1622.
Sermons were regularly more than two hours long and people were FINED for falling asleep in church. It was a requirement that every single person in town attend church weekly. Musical instruments like the organ were considered “worldly” and not allowed in church. Steeples or outdoor crosses were considered inappropriate. If you were caught playing golf or doing some other recreational activity other than church on Sunday you could be thrown into the stockade. If you had differing views on many topics that the local church taught you could be kicked out of the colony.
How times have changed in almost 400 years. Organs are considered sacred, outdoor crosses or steeples are considered a prerequisite for even being called a church. Hymns that are now considered sacred as well were based on bar tunes back in those days. How things have changed.
Now as we try to innovate in ways such as moving Sunday School to home-teams, move church to a movie theater, use high energy lighting, dress in normal clothes, preach sermons that the common man can understand, blog about things we are learning, play rockin’ music and become more relevant to the culture we live in to win souls to Christ we are criticized and are even accused of being cult like. The “traditional” church goers are having fits because we are not doing church like church should be done. Then at the same time the North American Continent is the ONLY continent in the world in which Christianity is not growing. The church in the US is dying and all the while the “church goers” are complaining because they got rid of the organ, or the choir members are not wearing robes, or the music is too contemporary, or the Pastor is not wearing a tie. What happened to people are dying and going to hell? Isn’t it incumbent on us to do whatever it takes to reach the lost? If that means losing the organ, doing more culturally relevant music, losing the robes, taking church to a theater, etc., then I am all for it.
If I had to choose between innovation or death, I choose innovation. The church in the US needs to wake up and smell the coffee because those are the choices to made. Since Christianity is in decline here in the US it is clear which choice is being made by the majority of churches. C3 chooses innovation over death.
Filed under: Family
Good morning y’all. Tampa was nice but it was too short. I think I could have used at least two weeks away but that’s OK, Andrea and I will take what we can get. You know life seems to throw you some curves at times. While away in Tampa I got a call from my sister in law telling me that my mom was in an automobile accident. If you are close to me at all you know that my mom just moved in with Andrea and me two weeks ago. Praise God, my mom was not hurt, but her confidence is not real high right now in her abilities to drive. The accident was not her fault but now she has to deal with being nervous about driving. It is so hard when you get older and you feel your independence being taken away one step at a time. My mom is 75 years old and has seemed lost to a certain extent since my Dad passed away in 2000. I was raised as an only child so the responsibility is mine when it comes to taking care of my mom. Next week she has three doctors appointments in three days. This means I must take her to them and I even have a dentist appointment for myself so you can imagine what kind of a week I will have. I am not complaining and I am not writing about it to make anyone feel sorry for me. I am writing to say this. Even though it is not easy seeing your parents grow older and having the roles reversed it is a joy to know that I am honoring my mom as God commanded. I am thankful that God has made a way that I can take care of mom and given me an understanding and loving wife that supports me as we have had to take responsibility for mom. God did not say He would make our lives easier but that He would give us the strength to endure. Yes, dealing with an aging parent is a curve ball but I believe it can be knocked out of the park. So all of the stuff that we go through sometimes on a daily basis is nothing compared to the important stuff. God, family, church, friends, it is good to have the proper order. I am glad that I can honor my mom and care for her in the latter years of her life. I love my mom. Love your parents while you can and have no regrets when they are no longer here. God has loaned them to us for a certain period of time so make the most of that loan. Honor your father and mother.
loveworshiplovelife 