February 22, 2023
Leadership Notes
I like the descriptive, “drips and drabs.” It covers a plethora of situations, circumstances, and thought directions. Some are good, some not so.
I’m enjoying a tumbler of rosemary infused vanilla latte from Musgrove and Co. coffee house. It is splendiferous. I picked it up following my Tuesday afternoon reading to a kindergarten class. These kids are an absolute delight. I read a classic book, from 1974, about a six-year-old brother and eight-year-old sister, written in two parts, from each sibling’s point of view about the other. At one point, sister said her brother sang “stupid” songs. Brother said his sister was a “jerk.” The kids in the class reacted as if I had read naughty words. I love those kids. I paused my reading and shared with them that sometimes Mr. Mortimer likes the word “jerk.” They giggled. My goose is cooked if, sometime after school, they call someone at home a “jerk.” I can just hear it now, “Mr. Mortimer said he likes that word!” {Sometimes…whisper I…sometimes.}
My thoughts are drawn to the sanitizing of books written by Roald Dahl. If you don’t know the story, Google it. Are we getting too antiseptic? Are we growing too sensitive? To paraphrase renowned English actor, author, raconteur, and atheist Stephen Fry:
It’s now very common to hear people say, “I’m rather offended by
that” – as if it gives them certain rights.
It’s no more than a whine. “I find that offensive.” It has no meaning, it has
no purpose, it has no reason to be respected as a phrase.
“I’m offended by that.”
Well, so what?
As people who know that God has written their names down in the Lamb’s Book of Life, there is nothing in this life that ought to bother or offend or distract us from our walk with Jesus Christ. We are tough-mind, kind-hearted people. Could we be any more secure in our lives?
Baptist Pastor Mike Stone writes, following worship one Sunday last month:
Head cold, Rainy weather, and Community flu bug
Congregation was as quiet as a mouse chewing a cotton ball
Low attendance, 6 staff out, Distracted by a personal family matter
Yet God’s Word was preached, His son was exalted, His people were instructed
Tis enough
That’s why we begin each worship service with, “God is good all the time…” Covenant Church is a beautiful family of Christ-followers who know who and whose they are. God is glorified in this place. Even when it feels like we are living in a clown world, our focus is on worshiping God, loving each other, and loving our community. Our greatest desire is to see lost people come to Christ, as together we serve the needs of people primarily in our community. And I must say, you all do that in a wonderful way.
My last bit of “drips and drabs” comes from a small Christian college in Kentucky. There has been a spiritual “revival” of some sort going on there for over a week. For more information on this story, Google is a great resource. {Perhaps one Sunday, for the sermon, I’ll stand up, announce the passage, and then say, “Google it.”} That would just be awful. Anyway, questions have arisen about this phenomenon. As 1 John 4:1-2 says:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see
whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone
out into the world.”
Unfortunately, as writer Samuel Sey points out, anyone who is at all cautious about what happened at Asbury University falls under the ire of some within the evangelical/charismatic church culture. He believes the reason why so many are eager for revival is they are desperate for change in our culture. That’s a point worthy of further examination.
In the end, Sey advises:
“But our hope isn’t in a change in our culture. Our hope isn’t in a
revival. Our hope isn’t in a Christian culture. All of these are good.
We should earnestly pray that God would change our culture. But
our hope isn’t in the return of Christian culture. Our hope is in the
return of Christ.”
It’s okay to ask hard questions of movements within the Christian community. It’s okay to question or criticize actions of presidents and government. Even scientists and science need our scrutiny. And everything else, from A-Z. The most important thing is for us to do what God has called us to do and be who God has called us to be in our little corner of His world. I’m quite content with that.
And now, your Moment of Spurgeon:
“THE WORST SORT OF CLEVER MEN ARE THOSE WHO KNOW
BETTER THAN THE BIBLE.”
Always of Good Cheer,
Richard