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caution, slippery when wet

no matter what, one thing is for certain - 9.11.01 was a redefining event in world history.  it was the day we lost so much, lives, innocence, security, the list is endless; and it was a time when we gained so much, understanding, grace, love, and the list is endless.  through the pain and horror of the event, we are hearing stories of courage, grace, love and hopefulness.  and through it all, the church has been a beacon, a shining light standing there for all to come, as it should be in such times.

with very few exceptions, church doors have been open, and people are returning to the church in search of "life meaning."  they are searching for a spiritual connection to their lives and their God, and we as christians have an opportunity to share the gospel as never before.  we have a powerful opportunity to help people find grace, peace, love and mostly God.  but we need to be very careful and place "caution" signs all over the place - caution signs for christians to follow.  i believe we need to post the following signs:

CAUTION, SUDDEN STOPS:

at times like this we tend to go one of two ways - water or fire.  when we "pull back" thinking if we speak the plain truth we will "offend" those who are visiting - we tend to "water down the message" because we believe visitors do not want to hear the truth, or, to paraphrase jack nickelson, "they can't handle the truth."  but that's not the case, people are hungry for the truth - and that is why they are seeking, to find that truth.  speak the truth, share the gospel, tell them who jesus christ is and make no apologies.  but be careful, you could tend to the fire.

some of us can get "fired-up."  we see this as "our last chance" to share, because you never know when the end will come.  we preach "hell fire and brimstone" with a "fiery" tongue and a heart focused on saving souls.  we stand before the gathering and proclaim, "you are all sinners.  you will burn in the fiery pits of hell, unless you are washed in the blood of the lamb."  for most of the unchurched and dechurched this language scares them (even though they have no idea what it all means).  now, i am certain, some will say "good" they need to be scared!  do they?  did steven king write the scriptures?

we have an opportunity to help all people know that, "we have all fallen short of the expectations God has placed upon us; but when we seek God's grace, in relationship with jesus christ, we connect to God in a powerful and meaningful way.  we openly desire to follow the path God has set before us."  we need to encourage people to return to a "spiritual base." to be clear, concise, and most of all, right on target with our words.  As christians we have the responsibility to share the truth with others and we need to do it without cramming it down their throat.  let's love them to christ, not scare them away.  but we must remember that we need to share the truth - don't give water or fire, open your words to allow people to see the life giving grace of God through christ.

CAUTION, SLIPPERY WHEN WET:

at times like this, we tend to get very cultural.  it is almost as if, red/white/blue has become a new liturgical color for a new season.  don't get me wrong, standing behind america is very important, we just need to be careful that our worship services do not turn into a "jesus for america" rally.  remember, we worship God and not america, and remember they are not the same.

this is a time to be above politics, above agendas, above personal theologies.  it is a time to proclaim the gospel, and not a political version of that gospel.  this is a time when we need to be very careful, because it is easy to "slip" into a gospel based on personal views, or political opinions.  whether you are a pacifist, or a person who agrees with a more aggressive action, we should not proclaim a political point of view from the pulpit.  over time, we will be hearing political leaders do this, and we need to be careful not to slip down that road.  it is the responsibility of our political leaders to call us to the alter of patriotism; it is the responsibility of our religious leaders to call us to the alter of God.

we must remember that our words can polarize those attending church.  we need to remember that some in our churches will support an aggressive action, while others will be more supportive of a pacifist view.  pro or con is not the theological point - unity is, and unity in diversity is hard, but primary to our live in christ - we need to agree with that tension, which leads us to the nest caution.  we must allow those who speak pacifism to speak loud and clear, and those who differ must also be allowed to speak loudly.  we must allow both views to live side by side.

CAUTION, STEEP UPGRADE:

we must acknowledge the tension that exists between scripture and culture - and between scripture and scripture. (tension does exist between scripture and scripture.  if not we would not have a "calvinist" view and an "armenian" view - and both claiming to be right.)  if we are not careful, we will find ourselves fighting over things that do not matter.  we need to allow all points of view to be voiced, and supported.  this is the perfect time to let others see that, as christians, we understand the tension and allow people to come to their own conclusion.  we can either prove we are above petty argument, or we can show that we are a petty people.

tension is important.  it shows we are truly examining our faith and walking in a path that allows us to experience how others see their relationship with God through christ.  i like using the rubber band as an example of tension - in order for a rubber band to truly have value it must be stretched - it must have tension to truly be a rubber band - it not, it is simply a connective rubber string with no function.  yes, we need to take care not to place to much tension on the band, or it will brake - that is why for the essentials there should not be tension.  which brings us to the next caution.

CAUTION, NO U TURNS:

some churches, and i have been part of them, have a tendency to insult guests.  some do not mean to, and when you point out their tendency they are quick to fix the problem - others, well..... they just don't care.  this happens, you know "open mouth, insert foot."  the problem is, whether you mean it or not, there is not taking back what has been said - we can only work on what we do next.  a good example of this is when i was attending a plant that was not growing.  during coffee time i was standing talking with a friend, and a new visitor to the church.  during our conversation this visitor, a total non-believer who was searching hard to know who God is in his life, mentioned that he was reading some of the quatrains from nostradomus  that talked about the end of the world.  a women, who was not part of the conversation, turned to us and said, "nostradomus is not christian, and is not the truth.  it is evil and demonic - and you (pointing to me) should tell this man to repent and stop reading that garbage, be firm."  it wasn't long before the rest of the people she was talking too jumped in and made this visitor feel very small.

at the end, he turned to me and said, "these guys are up tight.  i'm not comfortable with being jumped on."  when he left, he never returned.  when i tried to call and meet with him, he refused, and as far as i know he is not attending a christian church.  when i brought this story to the "leadership" i was informed that, "well, if he truly wanted to know God, he would have to understand the 'christian' point of view - and more importantly, what is not a 'christian' point of view."  when i tried to explain that was wrong, they don't have to understand the 'christian point of view.'  i was looked at as a person "selling christianity short."  what was not understood was that this individual was not a christian - he was searching, and we pushed him away.

CAUTION, DEAD END:

this is an extremely important caution and we need to be very careful, very careful.  i have heard some, and i thank God not many, say that this horrid event will help the churches 'bottom line."  it will increase income and make the average numbers on sunday increase; this hurts deeply, and it is just wrong.

our motives must remain pure, we do this because we love you and serve God and for no other reason.  we do not do this because we benefit from anything.  people are naturally skeptical, and seeing this as an opportunity to benefit simply adds to that skeptical nature.  if we collect an offering, and i still know of a few churches that "pass a plate," pray over giving a large part to the relief efforts facing this nation, and let it be known.  don't count people in the chairs, that adds nothing to the kingdom.  

on 9.11.01 our world changed.  people are seeking a spiritual base to work from and grow on.  they are seeking a deeper meaning to all that has happened.  we can either welcome them in, or we can scare them away, the choice is ours.  post cautions all over the church, and serve christ.

blessings

pastor john

John O’Keefe is the founder of www.ginkworld.net.  John sees a desperate need for the church as a whole to change and reach a new people for Christ.  He is straightforward, honest and calls it the way it he sees it.  John is a graduate of Drew and has been a Senior Pastor and Church Planter