“For the kingdom of God is not just eating and drinking, but
righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”. (Rom. 14:17).
Hey Gang: Is it not amazing what we sometimes choose to
argue about? As a boy I attended a
church that had a wonderful youth program, a thriving community out-reach and
God was honored in worship and praise.
Then it was decided the worship and
praise could be moved up a step or two if they purchased an organ. The church waited in anticipation for the
completion of the installation and the wonderful music that would resonate from
this new addition to the praise team.
But, there was a problem that
surfaced even before the organ was installed – who would play the organ? It turned out to be a battle similar to the
Martin’s and McCoy’s of folklore days. This split the church right down the
middle aisle. Those for Alice on the
right side and those for Betty on the left side.
To make a long story very short –
for it was a year or more of intense arguing and pure nastiness, the church
began to come unglued. The pastor
resigned and moved on, the youth leaders resigned and moved on, the praise team resigned and move
on, the average attendance dropped from more than two hundred to less than
seventy.
As I look back some seventy years, I believe with all my heart God
withdrew His anointing over the Fourth Street Church of God over a
conglomeration of wood, wires and keyboard called an organ.
Sooo, keep in mind, it is very easy
to get caught up in things that don’t really matter - things that over shadow
the important things- like loving God and each other. As one elderly gentlemen suggested, “Let’s
have a congregational wiener roast and burn the organ and give our church back
to the Lord!.” That, my young friends, was
pure wisdom. Today as you make
decisions, take a moment and look down the road a piece and see what the value
of that decision is, and the message it will send to those folks who care about
you.
Blessings,
Gramps
No comments:
Post a Comment