Strange elevation
There are more than 450,000 churches in America, according to a recent tourism census.
Tomorrow, 450,000 men shall mount to a strange elevation and tell 450,000 audiences 450,000 hours-worth of lies.
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There are more than 450,000 churches in America, according to a recent tourism census.
Tomorrow, 450,000 men shall mount to a strange elevation and tell 450,000 audiences 450,000 hours-worth of lies.
Exoristos
Porter Doran
Iannes
Epiktetos
Anonymous
I praise God for the work He is doing through His churches, imperfect though they are.
What work is that, John?
Why, of glorifying Himself by making the gospel of Christ known throughout the world, of illuminating and declaring His Word, of obtaining true worshipers who worship Him (often, but not always congregated together) in spirit and truth, and of showing compassion for people in need.
Perhaps there are not many churches that do all these things *well*, but I am very thankful that there are many that do them.
“Making the gospel … known” — i.e., advertising their brand — “declaring His Word” — i.e., advertising He endorses their brand — “obtaining true worshipers” — accumulating customers of their brand. In all this, you have merely said, “The churches do the work of promoting churches.”
“Showing compassion for people in need” — ah. How, where, when, and why do they do this?
No, no, no! *sputters*
Did the apostle Paul roam the known world advertising his own brand?
Was Paul a churchman? You will have to make some connection for me between your query and my blog-entry, I’m afraid, if I am to guess how to answer it.
Is a truth told by a traveling evangelist a lie if repeated by a churchman?
Almost always yes.
As a facile example: “Copy me as I copy Christ” (I Cor iv.16).
Philippians 1:15-18
“Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will;
the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel;
the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment.
What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice.”
Amen.
Yet there remains the vast difference between “proclaiming Christ” and proclaiming Lord, Lord (Mat vii.21f).
Interesting concept, Porter! But don’t you think it’s a bit generalizing? Come now, just a leeeeetle bit? :)
Miss Brack, I have tried to give as specific a number as I possibly can. If I could have shielded my Note from charges of generalization by saying “450,021 churches”, I certainly should have — but I cannot honestly obtain that datum.
(Which is my very-roundabout way of saying, Heck no. ;) )
(Now — some strangely-mounted men will tell fewer lies than others. I must think of a small-enough way appropriately to applaud them.)
Today at a Christian barber’s I heard playing a Christian song:
“He gave us Jesus Christ / so we would not have to sacrifice.”
Q.E.D.
True, a tree, a man, and a church are known by their fruits. But then I suppose you and I are not looking for the same ones.
Yes, yes, a lot of CCM stinks.
Haha. You are much too obliging, John. :)
One might call it Christ-like.
I am regularly shocked at the amount of church-going-activity that is just *stuff*. “Remember the ladies have a meeting at 10 next Wednesday,” “We’re having a church cleaning day next Saturday.” Etc, etc. It is much like a club.
“I think that the Church is the only thing that is going to make the terrible world we are coming to endurable; the only thing that makes the Church endurable is that it is somehow the Body of Christ and that on this we are fed.” -Flannery O’Connor
Lies? I’m not so sure. Sometimes they are, but often it is something much more dangerous. Half-truths, told with the best of intentions but cut and molded to fit preconceived dogmas do far more damage than any lie ever will.