I was just talking with a friend of mine, and I need to talk about this. I mean, maybe it’s just me, and it seriously could be, but I can’t see it being just me, and this could be a blind spot for me. Granted, it is probably a mixture of both but I am convinced in my own mind its less of a mixture on my side, but I also want to make sure I remain humble here.
This is where I’m at…I have, what I would consider to be a lot of experience on the issue of conflict relating to church style/worship style/preferences. This is where my thought process is at right at this moment; I like classic rock music…it’s what I was raised on and what I have a taste for. Now I’m just thinking here, if I refused to see or admit or experience the music that’s created today by saying, “If it’s not classic rock, I’m not listening to it because it’s junk and isn’t music!” what would you say about me? I would say about me that I am stuck in the past and stubborn and missing out. But what would you say about me? You could and probably would say you know what, that is your prerogative, you can have that view if you want, and not think anymore about it. But, let’s say you then find out I am a music major in the masters program of a prominent college…what is your view of me now? Probably a very narrow view and rightly so.
Now, in my experience, the most heated arguments and disagreements in the body of a local church are over worship/church/Bible version style and preference. Everything from Sunday school, announcements, music to the invitation. When someone even hints at some changes in these areas, venom comes out of the mouths of the children of God. Now, in my humble opinion…okay, I will admit, sometimes I don’t come across as a humble man but I do strive to be that man, I really do sense that the arguments and venom come from placing preferences and traditions as idols in the place of Christ. I seriously have to ask everyone reading this; how can anyone be a regenerate creature with The Holy Spirit in them and be satisfied with a church that operates in the style of the 1800’s? please don’t take that as an attack, it’s just an example, but I seriously just don’t understand. I’m not trying to be mean or insensitive, I truly don’t understand, like it doesn’t resolve. We don’t live in the culture of the 1800’s. We live in today’s culture. We don’t speak the King James English, we speak today’s English. How can we, who are called to make an impact on the culture through the power of Christ, do so if we don’t get it? How can we get it if we refuse to try to understand it? I mean let’s be honest, God doesn’t need us, and it’s His choice to use us, to let us participate in this great plan of His. Inside of every regenerate person is The Holy Spirit of a God who is creative, beautiful, emotional, deep, jealous, and words fail me now to fully describe Him because I can’t, but The Spirit desires to have you and I all to Himself, to not be the same person spiritually today that you were yesterday. We have to represent because The Holy Spirit demands it.
Well, you could say I am doing the same thing I’m speaking against! Again, this could be a blind spot of mine, but maybe we all have blind spots. I mean, we all know that our biggest reactions come from change or a perceived threat in the areas of power and control, right? Example, what could possibly be the reasoning for a leader of a church to have a problem with the congregation clapping when a believer gets baptized? I can tell you what; it’s the fear that while applauding, we are applauding the person and not Christ. It’s a fundamental misunderstanding…it’s not applauding the person, its celebrating victory! Does anyone really not see this? We are made holy because Jesus is holy. Our lives are made holy because Jesus was perfect. When it becomes me or you showing up on God’s radar because we go to church or keep our promises or pay our bills on time, or don’t clap or show emotion when we “aren’t supposed to” we have corrupted the Gospel of Jesus.
So, where are we at? Have you and I been holding on to things so tight that when our grip is threatened we retaliate? I will answer a big YES for me. In our anger do we sin? That’s a big YES again for me. What would it look like to have our love for Christ to be preeminent, to be above our love for control and preferences? What would it look like? God help us.
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