Has the church moved up in social rank over the years? Have we purchased prime locale, modernized our buildings, become a two-car, chicken-in-every-pot sort who now feel respect should and can be given us? Have we stepped up in our own image?
A sort of body rash breaks out when reminded of the not of this world position. How we forget. If we don't forget, we at least tend to go deaf and blind until the reminder passes. We've worked so hard to be respected that we may have shot ourselves in the go-into-all-the-world foot. We have possibly forgotten that to believe in God has the edgy appearance of being insane.
Our decent and in order recital became abusive to the point that sterility of church movement became the norm. Wild and vigorous energy for God was reserved for the eccentric few nut cases of any congregation.
Faith in God is not only not average; it isn't normal. Normal wouldn't approach a swollen river even if God did want to part it. Normal wouldn't thank God for His ability to dismantle a prison cell. Normal wouldn't think that giving would find life's provisions.
This is all nuts to the unbeliever. This is nuts to the fearful believer. This is nuts!
Yet, God's people marched on dry ground as tall waters gave the nation a standing ovation. God's Son breezed through the tomb as if death is whiny. And the apostles witnessed stark moves of faith that the weak would whisper, That's nuts.
We offer a well-planned array of adventure and interest to our church kids. Mine surely enjoyed it. In addition, may we parents walk a terrain of risk, extreme, and impossibility that the Living God could have windows to flex His divine muscle.
Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death.
For some who choose not to believe God, there appears to be an insanity among those who do.
No comments:
Post a Comment