Today is my 21st birthday, and I've been surprised at my lack of enthusiasm. This doesn't mean that I'm not milking it for all it's worth, but I'm taking it down a notch. Last year was a 2 week celebration... Sorry to Joel and Lu about that one. Tonight I'm going to spend a nice quiet evening with my parents and bestie/roomie at the Yellowhammer in Waverly. I hear the food is pretty amazing, and Dr. Death plays piano on the weekends. I don't really know this Dr. Death guy, but apparently he's a really hard Chemistry professor... I tried to dodge that subject in every possible way.
Now for something real...
I've been thinking about a sermon I heard not too long ago. Actually, I'm not sure if it was a sermon, or just pre-sermon words of inspiration. Gag. This pastor went on for a while about Christians being "fun." That the reason people don't become Christians is because they don't know that we have fun. Therefore, we should have been clapping during a song. Everyone knows that's the epitome of fun, especially the tens that rushed to the altar.
I'm done being sarcastic.
These ideas have been bothering me for several days now. I'm not sure why a pastor would stand in front of a congregation and basically say that "fun" is what matters. I felt like they were promoting a gimmick... and gimmicks don't work. I'm also not sure where the idea that being a Christian is fun came from. Don't get me wrong I love to have fun, and I do on a daily basis, but is being a Christian really fun? Being ever reminded of my sinful nature = not fun. Constantly being refined = not fun. Trying to figure out how to be less selfish and worldly in a very selfish world = not fun. Crucifixion = NOT FUN.
Maybe I'm being too harsh. Maybe the pastor really wanted to talk about the joy mentioned in Psalm 16:11.
You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Joy sounds like something I would rather people see in my life. Fun lasts for moments. Joy lasts through good times and bad. People that are looking for fun will find it anywhere. Fun can be had playing mini-golf. People that want joy, that are seriously seeking, will look to something else if the Church gives them "fun." So, are we correct in teaching other believers that we want others to see us having fun?
P.S. I'll let you know how the Yellowhammer is.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
The big 2-1 and fun.
Posted by Caroline Schell at 4:19 PM
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2 comments:
No (and I really wanted to add an expletive before that but refrained) they do not want to see fun. And if they do, it's not about what they want to see, it's about what they need to see.
Or how about what God wants to see? Are we striving again to please men? The apostle Paul mentioned that if he was doing that than he would have preached that you needed to be circumsized to be saved, like the false teachers were doing. Granted, Paul did circumsize Timothy, probably so that a dialog would even be possible with the hard-hearted Jews who Paul "could wish himself accursed to save" (or something like that--he was simply commenting on his love for his own people by blood, the Jews).
Joy...that is the ticket. It is second on the list of spiritual fruit in Galatians 5:22, and it is as much a witnessing tool (if not more) than preaching or teaching. Joy prepares people to be preached/taught/evangelized to--it opens the dialog with their heart. Often the barrier (if not always truly) with unbelievers, even athiests, is an emotional scarring from their past or present that seems to set them against the gospel. If they see us joyously glorifying God WHEN WE SUFFER, the inner struggle between what they thought they knew to be true and the Truth they see plainly in us can begin, and their scales covering the dragon heart will be temporarily lifted to let the sword of God's word come slay the old and allow God to make them a new creation.
Good word Caroline.
We recently had the children's minister step down from his role in search of what "God" is leading him to. I am struggling with what he is leaving for though. From what my impression on what he said, the reason is for a church that will be part of entertainment purposes. He expressed that our church does not follow his ideas that we should attract the worldly and churched thorough plays, music, or basically advertising. To hear this broke my heart. Him actually saying this to a crowd of people in church made me wonder where God was actually leading him. Down a broken path to change his heart, or was it Satan decieving his desires. This is supposed to be a man walking with God. Satan attacks those in the walking close the hardest. Those are his most victorious of battles I believe. well I am going to just write a blog instead of rambling on here.
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