The Commercialization Of Church-Money Changers In The Temple?

Please hear me when I say that I am not trying to sow dissention among believers by anything that I write. I am writing my thoughts and opinions as of this moment which may change as God gives me knowledge or conviction on them.

It has been on my mind for a while now what I see happening over and over again with churches. I see several in my community and many more nationwide that seem to missing the point. I say seem to because I don't go to all of them. However God's Word says we will know by their fruit and the fruit I am seeing is not pleasant to eye or good for food as it were.

One thing I see a lot are electronic signs going up at churches. I know we live in the age of information and we want to give people what they crave by putting everything we have available on a sign. I get it, I really do. But I don't like it. I don't like it one little bit. When I see electronic signs at a church it just doesn't feel right. I seems more like a business. Of course that is what a lot of churches have become; businesses. Many are incorporated; like a business and it makes me think of Jesus throwing the money changers out of the temple.

*sigh* And then there are the coffee bars and bookstores inside some churches. Hey I love me some coffee and I am all for having a fellowship time around coffee before church. I am not for selling the coffee. Again, I get the idea behind it; serve up some lattes and make sure people actually get to the service on time because they didn't have to stop at a Starbucks or some such place before church. I get wanting to be relevant and all that. Maybe the price of the coffee only covers the cost of making it; I don't know. I have never attended a church that has a coffee bar in it. I have only seen one when attending a concert at a church and the coffee bar was not open at the time. Still it seems to me to be a slipper slope. Just what lengths will churches go to in order to be trendy? Will we put circus performers in the lobbies? Will we have Ice Bucket challenges in masse in the church parking lot?

I hear the argument for these things to be that we are called to outreach the get them hooked then reel them in
thinking. But aren't Jesus and the Apostles our examples of outreach? Did they go into a town and put on a show? No, they came proclaiming the Gospel. Yes, Jesus and the Apostles performed miracles but never in a showman way of doing it. In fact Jesus often withdrew from the crowds after performing a miracle. Look at your Bible in the Gospels and see if I am not right. When we worry more about how many people we have in church than sharing the Gospel in church I believe we have missed the point.

Just when did the Gospel, the fact that God's Son left Heaven, became a little baby, grew into a man without sin and allowed Himself to be murdered, rose from the dead and ascended back into Heaven so that anyone who believes on Him would be free of the curse of sin and live with God forever; when did this Gospel become boring? When did the Gospel become irrelevant? When did the Gospel start coming in second to programs and hooks?

I am often asked if I watch this preacher or that preacher on television. Most people are shocked that I do not. I don't because many of them are more about hawking their special study Bible, or their book, etc. than preaching the Word of God. Many spend more time asking, nay pleading for money than they do helping one understand more of what the Bible says and how to apply it to our lives. Many live in mansions and drive expensive cars while widows and orphans go without to support their ministry
. Many speak at churches that are filled to the brim with people in expensive suits and designer dresses and shoes who would turn away a homeless person outside the church but give faithfully to support the ministry. ( I have nothing against wealthy Christians per say just those who are hearers of the Word and not doers of the Word who put themselves on pedestals claiming God has blessed them) No, don't watch most preachers on television. I hear and see on Facebook people quoting some TV preacher or other and I just shake my head. When did we decide we would rather follow men who talk well instead of Jesus?

These are things I ponder when I see those electronic church signs. And I pray, I pray that what people find inside that church isn't as flashy as the sign; but more glorious than a million blinking lights- the truth from God's Word.

Getting tired here folks; hope I didn't ramble too much.

Grace and peace CAC

I Got Nothin'

What is it about a empty screen or page that makes the mind just shut down? When I am not trying to write dozens of ideas float around in my head. But as soon as I sit down to write my mind just goes blank.
I may think of something tomorrow for now I am just not able to come up with anything coherent.
Grace and peace CAC

The Story Begins

The Body of Believers I worship with is beginning an exciting endeavor starting tomorrow. We are going to read through the Bible in the format of

The Story

.



Tomorrow we start as a congregation reading through this; Sunday morning services and small groups will study what we read each week. Services start at 10:30 am on Sunday and small groups will be held on Sunday evenings at 6pm, and Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7pm. Wednesday evenings will have programs for children and youth as well. There is an exception for the Sunday group this week as there is a conflicting program. They will meet on Monday at 7 this week only. As you can see there are many choices for attending a small group. I am looking forward to and hope that we will have some new folks joining us as we do this. We are located on Bloomfield Road just across from Cape LaCroix apartments.

In closing I want to share something our pastor sent in an email this week.


"If you simply judge books by their covers, you might pass this book by. Its title is Ozark Childhood: Stories from a Simpler Time and Place. There are a few faces on the front that are surely unfamiliar to you and an author whose name you would not recognize. On the back cover is a picture of the author who, with his white beard, might remind you of Santa Claus. And maybe he is. You see, this book of mine is a valued gift. I was hooked as soon as I started reading the 'Acknowledgements' page. (Don’t laugh. Some people read the obituaries in newspapers; I read the Acknowledgement pages in books.) I was hooked when I saw the names of people dear to me. Raymond and Gladys Elkins—my deceased grandparents. Betty Elkins Brown—my mother. Bill Elkins—my uncle who has also passed away. Sara, my aunt. Dave and Jody, my cousins. And the author, David Elkins, my uncle. This is not just any book; this is a book about my family tree. The stories would probably not be of any interest to you, but they are to me. That’s what happens when you hear part of your story. Something that seems lifeless comes to life. Something that looks dull becomes dynamite, firing up your heart and igniting your imagination. You are reminded that you are part of something bigger than you are, that began before you and will continue on after you."


This is exactly why God wants you to know His story. He wants to take you into His house where He has framed photos of your ancestors––folks you may not know––lining the walls of His house. Stories of a family patriarch named Abraham whose faith was as great as any. A matriarch named Ruth with courage that would make the most hardened warrior proud. A stubborn Jonah and his improbable fish tale. Impetuous Peter and his big mouth. Persistent Paul and his adventures in preaching. Yet who He wants most of all for you to meet in His story is His Son. He desires for you to look long into the eyes of Jesus Christ and hear His claims that what He began in the first chapter of creation He will realize at the last chapter of the New Creation, where a perfect people can live in a perfect place with their perfect Lord. The perfect place is on the Storyboard. The question is, “Are you?” You can be there when you find your place in His Story.

See you on Sunday! Come prepared for a blessings!


Grace and Peace CAC

And Forever You Shall Be Known As

I went to a doctor recently to have a plantar wart removed. This was not my first one; though the last one was over 10 years ago. The same doctor saw me today but not in his office because his office doesn't lower itself to take my "insurance". I digress; the doctor came in and since I hadn't seen him for years and had not record at this facility; he asked me if I have any health problems. I said yes and sighed heavily which prompted him to look at the information sent over by my doctor. Now I don't like to dwell on all my health issues but in order to make my point I must list them. I have osteoarthritis in both knees as well as my toes and ankles, spondylosis, degenerative disc disease, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia syndrome, major depression, COPD, sleep apnea, and diabetes. I also have an over active bladder and a history of ulcers. The doctor looks at the information my family doctor sent over and looked up and said " so mainly diabetes?" Yes I have been diagnosed as a diabetic. Do you know why I am? I am diagnosed as diabetic because one time; yes one time, my A1C was a whopping 6.3! I take no medication for it and subsequent tests have come in the 5 range. But because my AIC was over 6 one time I will forever be labeled diabetic. Now, you may wonder why this bothers me so much. It bothers me for the same reason I hated to list my depression medicine on my paperwork when seeing a new doctor before I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and was trying to figure out what was wrong with me. Doctors looked at my weight, and the medication was on for depression and assumed my pain was a result of my depression. I abhor assumptions! I want a doctor to look beyond the surface and deal with my body as a whole; is that too much to ask? Just sayin' ya know? Grace and peace CAC

Shake Rattle And Sift

Finally I'm back; sorry it has taken me so long. There has been some issues with computer sharing in the household.
I have a lot of things rattling around in this mess of mind I have. I will try to sort some of them out here. Firstly I have been thinking a lot about the situations in Iraq and Syria.
I am dumbfounded at the disparity of the news coverage compared to Ferguson MO. James Wright Foley's execution finally caused the attention to come back to what is going on in Iraq. I can't imagine the pain Mr. Foley's family is going through right now but neither can I imagine the choice all those family's in Iraq are having to make just because they don't believe the same way a small group of people think they should. I am also puzzled as to why many Christians weren't saying much of anything about Iraq until they heard about other Christian's dying for their faith. How is it worse that Christians were beheaded and such those who are Muslim etc.? It seems to me it would be worse the other way around because at least the Christians have real hope beyond this life. I guess I am just plain disgusted with human beings right now.
Let me preface my next rant thusly; I try really hard not to be racist; I don't judge people based on what they look like or where they come from but prejudice is; I believe an inescapable human condition.
The situation in Ferguson has finally turned a corner. Last night was; at last, peaceful. I just find it odd and irksome that what made the difference seems to be that Attorney General Eric Holder came to town. Mr. Holder is black. I just have a hard time believing that a white Attorney General coming to town would have had the same impact as Mr. Holder's did. I also saw a poll on the news that 60% of black people approve of President Obama's response to what was going on in Ferguson. Really? He refused to come back from his vacation in an act of support until a white journalist was beheaded in Iraq; but that's okay. Why? Because he is a black president? Why was it okay for Obama to basically ignore what was going on in Ferguson; yet so a previous administration to be vilified for the failings of FEMA during hurricane Katrina? Why do people rage about inequality and then partake of it with the same mouth? Why is it okay to vote for someone on the basis of race alone then cry about racism?
See I think all of these things and have all these questions I am afraid to say or ask for fear that I will be criticized for these thoughts. I just don't understand the way people think. I know I can't understand what it is like to be black; to have the color of my skin be who and what I am before anything else. But does that mean I have no right to say anything? Does that mean I have no right to an opinion?
See, the way I see what happened in Ferguson wasn't " look what those black people are doing" it was " look what those angry people are doing". My concerns were for the families trapped in their homes and businesses that were unable to open or damaged or both. My fear was that the violence would begat more violence; that the anger would give birth to more anger. My fears were realized all to truly and my heart weeps for this country that our communities can so easily be divided and torn apart. In the depths of my being I mourn for the Michael Browns of this world. But even more my heart mourns each man, woman and child whose lives were brutally taken from them by ISIS. My heart is torn in pieces over the parents who had to watch their children starve to spare them torture and beheading. I can't fathom how a world can sit by and so little in the face of these things. How often we as humans bemoan what is wrong with the world rather than reaching out to do something about the things we can change.
I shake my head in sorrow and confusion as these thoughts rattle around in my head and in writing I am trying to sift out all the prejudice and hurt. I cry out to God for patience with my fellow man and especially my brothers and sisters in Christ when I see a lack of empathy for those who don't know the redeeming power of grace through Jesus Christ. My spirit bleeds a little each time I see a professing Christian judge another's sin rather than lift them up. My spirit mourns when I replay in my head things I have said in anger rather than understanding. How easily we spout Bible verses to condemn but forget the words of our Savior that He did not come into the world to condemn it but to save it. I cry out to God to help me see through His eyes and I as I do all the stuff I wrote above no longer matters.
I hope I have not offended any one; it is not my intention.
Grace and peace CAC

Ferguson Missouri; My Humble Opinion And Prayer

I live about 130 miles south of Ferguson so I offer this disclaimer; I am not in the middle of this only watching from afar. I also want to point out to anyone who may happen upon this that I am white and don't know first hand what it is like to be black. I talked to someone who has a tumbler account recently and she said everything she is seeing regarding Ferguson makes it sound like the police are bullying a bunch of peaceful protesters. Though there has been a lot of overreaction on the part of the police in the area; that is not he whole story. What happened to Michael Brown was wrong, awful, and possibly criminal. I would like to know how taking to the streets and burning down small businesses that individuals not involved in what happened is an appropriate response. How does all of this violence do anything to bring peace and comfort to Michael's family? Michael's mother has called for calm from the very beginning of this and if she can be patient and wait for an investigation; why then can't everyone? Many of those protesting don't even live in Ferguson; making crowds even harder for the police to handle. I get solidarity, I do. What I don't get is what looting and violence do to further solidarity. Surely there are other things we could be doing to speak to the injustice we see and feel. Prayer services and/ or letter writing campaigns come to mind. Yes, racism and discrimination exists and it is wrong. But I can't think of one example from history that the kind of behavior we are seeing in Ferguson right now has brought about positive change. Malcolm X abandoned his violent stance as did Nelson Mandela. Martin Luther King never approved of this kind of behavior and though he was murdered his family has carried on with that message because it is still a valid message. We cannot respond to ugliness with more ugliness. Peace begins in the heart of the individual who says " I will rise above the darkness, not become a part of it". There is so much that can be said on this topic, so much is wrong with what is happening right now. I urge all to withhold judgment until more is known. I do believe an independent investigation is a good idea so that the results will be believed by everyone. I found this video; he says things I think only a black man can say on the subject. Pardon the swearing here In closing I pray for peace and justice in Ferguson MO. I pray the truth will come out quickly and that somehow we will learn from this madness and tragedy. Grace and peace CAC

Public Mourns The Death Of Robin Williams

I am and many more are shocked to find out that Robin Williams; America's beloved actor and funny man; has apparently committed suicide. I am not a celebrity watcher, I feel that just because someone is famous doesn't give me the right to know every detail of his or her life. Therefore I had no idea Mr. Williams was suffering from depression. I also did not know that he had recently relapsed into drug use. I did know from hearing others talk that he had battled drug addiction. I do know that often the drug addiction and depression go hand in hand. His family is asking privacy at his horrific juncture in their lives, and I do hope they are allowed this humble and reasonable request. I know first hand what losing someone to suicide is like and I know how every one thinking they know details just makes it harder. My goal in writing about this is for one purpose and one purpose only; to shine a light on the need for education, treatment and de-stigmatization regarding depression. The time has come dear public, to shed the blinders we have on that mental illness is rare and won't touch our lives. We need to get serious about getting the word out that being mentally ill makes one week or odd. We need to get it our of our heads that depression is a sometimes feeling that goes away after a while. Though many people may only have one or a few problems with clinical depression there are also a lot of people for whom depression never really goes away. There are of course many posts on Facebook about Mr. Williams death and one just really got to me. A well meaning person said

Depression IS treatable. Medicine, counseling and faith can change things

. There is nothing inherently wrong with this but it just seems trite to me. Really, do you think Mr. Williams didn't seek help? Do you think his loving family didn't make every effort to make sure he went to counseling and doctors? Depression is so much more complicated than this quote indicates that it is. I watched for the third or fourth time a few days ago and movie called Ordinary People . The movie is a portrait of a family who are grieving the loss of the eldest of two sons in a boating accident. The portrait picks up at what appears to be a few months after the younger son has attempted suicide by slitting his wrists. If you have never seen this movie I highly recommend that you find it and watch it Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland are the parents and deliver a stellar performance along with Timothy Hutton playing the part of the younger son, Conrad. At one point in the movie a girl asks Conrad why he did it and he says;

It's like falling into a hole; a hole that keeps getting bigger and bigger. And you can't get out and all of the sudden it's inside you; you're the hole and your trapped and it's all over.

This is one the most accurate descriptions I have ever heard of what it feels like to be suicidal. My thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Williams family. The coming days, weeks and months will bring much pain. There will abundant sorrow, there will be guilt and there will be anger. I pray that somehow in the midst of all of these, the message of hope in Christ will get through and bring them comfort and peace. If you know someone who battles depression; don't tell them to suck it up. Don't tell them to pray and all will be well. Tell them to get help and be there for them, to listen and tell them the truth. Stay up all night with them if need be, stay up 2 nights in a row if need be. If you don't feel up to doing this or to help you out use this information and lift them to the Throne of Grace and pray to Almighty God that they will get help and choose life. Grace and peace CAC

But I Don't Like It That Way!

I often hear people complain about church. They have problems with the pastor; his messages are too long, too boring, not relevant. They have problems with the music; it's too loud, not loud enough, too contemporary, not contemporary enough, there are too many hymns, not enough hymns, the songs are unfamiliar, the songs are too familiar. They have problems with the way people dress: too casual, too dressy. The complaints go on and on. I have been guilty of some of these complaints myself, so don't think I am being self righteous here. Folks it is not about us. Your pastor prays a lot about the message he is to deliver and just because it wasn't what you needed to hear, someone needed to hear it. And the music is carefully planned to flow with the message and to glorify who? You? No - to GLORIFY GOD. You aren't there to rock out to a cool tune on the radio, you are not there to hear your favorite hymn. You are there to praise and worship the One True God. It saddens me to look around and see people standing stoically during songs with their mouths firmly closed. The excuse that one can't sing well doesn't work either. God doesn't ask you sing well, He just asks that you sing. Make a joyful noise - noise, not melody. God doesn't care what you sound like. Not knowing the song only works for a few moments in most cases. When I first started going to the church I attend now, I was totally lost when they sang. I could have just sat there like a lump on a log but instead I opened myself up to the Holy Spirit and He guided me through them. The sooner we get our selves out of the way the easier it is to experience church in a positive and blessed way. See the thing is that though we are there for God, when we are obedient in worshiping Him in spite of our likes and dislikes, He brings peace and blessing to us in the midst of it. When we stop looking at other people and look to Jesus He gives us love for all our church family, no matter how they dress or talk. God is faithful like that. When will we start being faithful to Him? Grace and peace CAC

Germs And Bugs; Oh My!

The big news story lately is Ebola and I have a few things on my mind about it. I am seeing a lot of postings on Facebook and the like that say people are worried. It is being said that the media is not telling us the whole truth and so on. Here's the deal folks, if you are depending solely on the media to inform you of anything; shame on you! Most people have at our disposal a plethora of information via the internet. We also have books, you know those things with pages between a cover that may or may not have a picture on them? Inform yourself; and take reasonable precautions. Panic and rumor mongering do no one any good and usually do harm. Worry is pointless and sinful. Our hope, as Christians is in God as well as should be our trust. As I indicated above; we need to use the brains God gave us and be rational folks. Ebola has been in the country for a long time; in labs being studied so that treatments can be developed. Yes, it is a new strain and we can't predict how much it has mutated at this point but we must; again I say not panic. A bit of aside here is that I am appalled at the lack of knowledge people have about the necessity for basic hygiene. I was in a public restroom a few days ago and a young woman was leaving a stall as I was washing my hands and went directly out the door. I wanted to run after her and yell at her; DON'T YOU WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER YOU USE THE BATHROOOM! (By the way, she was quite able bodied and come out of the handicapped stall and I with my cane had to use the narrow stall.) I also can't believe the number of people I see coughing and sneezing into their hands! Come on people! Cough or sneeze into your elbow; I taught my kids this when I they were toddlers and I know it was taught at school too. I have auto immune disease and when I leave the house I get sick about half of the time. Some stores have sanitizing wipes for one to wipe down cart handles with but not all of them do. I wonder how much urine and other unimaginable things do we touch every time we grab a shopping cart? Now think about how easily something like Ebola could take hold just because we don't think! Back to my main point. What are we to so in this time of uncertainty? Panic? No, but spread the word about hygiene, practice it yourself and pray. Pray for your own protection but more important pray for those in charge of studying this problem and for those in other countries who are in the throws of this epidemic and seeing loved ones and friends falling dead all around them. Pray for wisdom for the leaders of other countries as well as the leaders our country. There is so much going on in the world that is troubling and downright frightening. Yet we are not powerless and without hope. We have the very power that raised Christ from the dead within us! Maybe we should start acting like it. I know I need to! My intention is not to beat up on or offend anyone. I am just sharing my thoughts. Love one another and pray. I close with this Matthew 6:25-34 Grace and peace CAC

And We're Back....

Okay so I've been gone a good long time and you are thinking "here we go again". Well I can't blame you for that. I really have been lax in writing. I could blame on it on the fact that my computer and XP parted ways and I couldn't type on my tablet. I could, but that would be a lie. The truth is I wasn't writing before my computer started messing up. The truth is I just don't make myself write what is whirling around in my head. I do write a lot in my head. I have lain in bed and composed a plethora of essays on a myriad of subjects. I just don't bother to write any of them down. I have been convicted of late though that this needs to stop. I may not be a great writer but I wouldn't be composing all these things in my head if they were not meant to be shared. God keeps sending little reminders to me about writing my story. Finally He has cracked the thick skull I have and I am seeing that though my story may not be well written it is mine, it is His and I should share. I won't be able to share my story if I don't get into the habit of writing. Also God has done some amazing things in my life and I need to let people know. So starting next post I will tell you some of these things. So, this is where you, reader come in. I need help. I need to know what you want to read about. Is there something I shared with you that you think others would like to hear. Do you have questions about what I believe or think about something? Please, PLEASE give me some feedback to get me started. Also, I really need some accountability. I am pledging to write at least one post 2x a week. I need someone to kick me in the hind end if I don't post for more than 3 days. My goal is by the end of the year to be posting daily. Thank you in advance. May God bless you and keep you. CAC