The Church is Jesus' Hot Mamma

Snippet from Johnnie Blair's message, Sunday morning.

https://www.facebook.com/trinityweschurch/videos/1633612520004257/

What Happened to Church?

A few years ago I ran a blog entitled Retrotechnocracy for several months.  I was reading back over some of the stuff there, good stuff.

Anyway, I copied this snippet to pull into 2015, just because it bears repeating.

We did not have microwaves, garbage disposals, or television sets. Okay, okay. Finally when the oldest child was in fifth grade we bought a 19" b & w Zenith on which we could get two channels. We were no longer the only home on the block without this marvel, though we should have remained so. Two things I remember about this time frame. "Sky King" which we thought suitable for the kids after school; and Lorne Green and the Cartwright gang who changed the face of mid-America forever. How so? I hope you are asking.

To this time, most fundamental, evangelical, and even many of the old-line churches had Sunday evening services which typically were held at 7:30. Virtually all churches chose at that time one of two alternatives: move service up to 6 o'clock so everyone could get home in time to visit the Ponderosa; or, eliminate evening service entirely. Over the intervening years, many of those who chose the first alternative, eventually defaulted to the second, and churches all over the Bible belt sit darkened on the evening of the Lord's Day.

© 2010 David W. Lacy

Addressing Responsibility

Bruce Wydick, Professor of Economics at San Francisco University wrote,

"Like most protests, the Occupy Wall Street folks are better at identifying something that is wrong than identifying a way forward that is right.

"The Occupy Wall Street movement shares more than it would like to admit with the Tea Party, its populist complement on the right. Rather than taking the approach of self-reflection and personal ownership of sin that Jesus imparts to his followers, each of these movements seeks to externalize blame onto a culpable Other. It is Immigrants or Muslims or Obamacare or Greedy Corporations or Corrupt Wall Street Financiers who are to blame for our problems. But obviously not … Us."

The article from which I extracted these quotes appeared here and it is a bit long, but well worth the time it takes to read it. Only serious-minded people need apply.

Church Growth

I was talking to the Spouse about an article on church growth in today's society. She said,

It's a tough time to build up a church, trying to reach "heatherns"(sic) because they won't listen. It's not like the days when people were a lot more gullible and didn't have anything to do, so when a revival or a carnival would come to town it was an event. They'd go to a revival to listen to a hell-fire preacher and maybe be convicted and get saved.

So I got to thinking. "Sophistication" and a plethora of choices for entertainment might indeed be a couple of factors impeding the growth of the church. But people need the Message just as much as they ever did.

Then the Benediction

"Every head is bowed and every eye is closed."

How does the preacher know that? He has faith in the power of suggestion, whereas I have faith in human nature. I'd like to bet him five bucks on that.

And no, it won't be me looking around. I'm a good little sheep.

Priorities

"I wish that preacher would cut it off. Second Sunday in a row the Methodists have beat us to the Brunch Buffet."
"Looka that, hadda wait seventeen minutes for a table."
"Oh, wow! You shoulda seen that game last night. Double overtime and we didn't get home until midnight. What excitement! And we won!"

Sunday Again

I was taught from childhood that Sunday is a "day of rest." But now. Now Sunday is the only day of the week in which I have to rise before a specified time, dress in a manner appropriate to public outing, leave the house, again at a specified time, and park my creaky old body in a cramped box called a "pew."

The worship leader is helpful, too. "I invite you to stand," he says, "as we raise our voices to the Lord on hymn number 453. On the first, third and last verses!" It is not an "invitation." It is a directive. And what heresy was the poet promulgating in the second verse? And why does the lyricist always put the heresy in the second verse? Can you recall a time that you actually sang the second verse in church?

But wait! He will "invite" us to stand again to sing the first and last verses of ...

I am very attentive during the sermon. I take notes during the sermon to help me follow attentively. I like the sermon; or I may not like it, but I hear it and hope to heed the word.

Do you know a church where the minister stands up, says "good morning" and then says follow with me as I read from God's Word the basis for today's message, which he then delivers, "invites" the congregation to stand for the benediction, says a brief prayer and walks out?

I might just go to that church.

Thought for Sunday

Dog getting so old, instead of jumping up on the couch and snuggling under my arm, he sits on the floor, staring up at me. Lays his ears back, starts barking. What's that all about? Ask him what he wants, he barks more.

I sometimes wonder if barking is what God hears when we address Him. Not that He cannot understand us, but that we don't know how to address Him.

The directions are in the Book. Fortunately, unlike the dog, we can read the directions.

Bedtop Chapel

at St. Mattress Cathedral this morning. It was either that, or sit in the pew and sleep right in front of the preacher and everybody.