Friday, February 10, 2012

what if we miss it?

Recently a close friend of mine told me about a local church here in our community that actually turned away a young man because he was wearing piercings. That same congregation turned away a young woman who wanted to participate in a relatives funeral because she was wearing slacks.
A few years ago I was traveling with a semi-professional Gospel quartet and at one our "gigs" all the members of the group (there were about 8 of us) were asked to remove ALL of our jewelry, including our wedding rings before we could sing. Another time we had a couple of "suits" come to one of our rehearsals to make sure our HAIR wasn't too long. As it turned out me and the bass player had to get a haircut before we could sing in this church.
I really wonder sometimes if people in the church completely forget why we're here. I would be really shocked when, we "we all get to heaven" the Lord looks at you and me and says "sorry you cannot enter Heaven cause you're hair's too long," or "you are not properly dressed." It would be a shame if we Christians lived our entire life being so Heavenly minded that we're no earthly good! What a waste for us and for the Kingdom really if we should come to the end of our life here on earth and suddenly realize that it doesn't really matter that not everybody worships or serves God JUST LIKE ME! Let me tell you what really matters. What really matters now and in the end is our relationship to GOD. I don't really believe that God will meet us in Glory and be concerned about our body piercings or our clothes. What he is going to be concerned about is whether or not we have asked Him to forgive us of our sins. Our relationship with Jesus is what matters!
Mike Warnke tells a story about a church that builds a wonderful new Sanctuary to accommodate their growth. They hire an artist to come in paint murals of key Biblical stories all around the church (which was apparently built in the round). But in the scene depicting the Creation he has Adam with a belly button. And so arose this great theological debate in this church as to whether or not Adam did actually have a belly button. One group said that he did because he was the prototype of all men. Another group said no he did not because he had no earthly mother, therefore no umbilical cord therefore no belly button. Warnke makes a good point when he says "meanwhile people who live within walking distance of that church are dying and going to hell - not because they don't know about belly buttons, but because they don't see the children of the Most high God acting like it!
So please,Christian, for the sake of the Call, let's make sure we keep the main thing the main thing! Let us not get ourselves so wrapped up in legalism that we forget about Grace!

Until Next Time,
The Methmusiciain

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