Quit That! · 2010-07-29
Every family has rules that must be enforced in order to preserve peace, prevent abuses, and provide a safe environment for weaker members. After He had redeemed them from Egyptian bondage, God formed a covenant with His people Israel. The 10 Commandments form the framework of rules for His new family. Eight of them are worded in the negative. They represent the “Quit That” of God the Father. Similar admonitions are given for the benefit of our Christian family. Loving relationships are not just about affirmation. They are also about discipline and prohibition. Real Christians are members of a church not just because their name is on the roll, but because they are involved in the lives of others. They build each other up. They avoid sin. Like loving parents sometimes they say, “Quit that.”
“But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.” Gal 5:15
“Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices” Col 3:9
“For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.” Titus 3:3
“Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.” Romans 14:13
“Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.” Gal 5:26
“Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.” James 4:11
“Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.” James 5:9
— Chuck Deglow
Peace – Unity – Fellowship · 2010-07-22
We have all heard military veterans speak of the bond they formed with their comrades in arms. In a similar way, we Christians are engaged in a war. We are engaged in a war that has eternal consequences. Our enemy is clearly identified. We must cultivate a sense of unity in order to present a unified front against the attacks of the Evil One. We must provide protection and support for each other. Peace and unity prevail in an environment where we feel safe….safe to be vulnerable…safe to admit sin…safe to try something for God even if we fail. We are safe within this bond of fellowship. We seek unbroken fellowship with God and with one another. We devote ourselves single-mindedly and whole-heartedly to the purposes of God.
“Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Mark 9:50
“Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus” Romans 15:5
“And that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another”
I Thess 5:13
“But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” I John 1:7
— Chuck Deglow
"The McDonaldization of the Church" Book Review · 2010-07-08
In his book THE MCDONALDIZATION OF THE CHURCH, John Drane seems to have grasped the essence of what has changed in the way present generations determine what is true and important. For the present generations “truth itself has also been redefined, and tends to be understood not in relation to some external authority, but from within the experience of the individual.” He accurately describes the present generations as having rejected the rational in favor of the subjective and experiential. He noted that they are more likely to be attracted to images as opposed to words. And they are eager for and seeking to experience worship as the whole body exercise of active participants rather that passive spectators.
I think he has confused the role of believers and unbelievers related to worship. He seems to assume 1) that meaningful worship can be experienced by an unbeliever, 2) that the form of worship must accommodate unbelievers, and 3) that worship is the main tool of outreach.
Unfortunately, for him, none of these assumptions is accurate. Late in the book he is harshly critical of Marva Dawn. But she got one thing correct, it is the individual member of the congregation that represents the entry point into the church. As individuals live incarnationally (one of Drane’s favorite concepts) unbelievers experience the truth of the Gospel in living and loving relationships.
Drane’s observations that the church has bought into a marketing and business-like approach is accurate enough to cause one to be embarrassed and convicted of programming the life right out of it. The symptoms of McDonaldization are Efficiency, Calculability, Predictability, and Control.
The church seeks to maximize efficiency sometimes at the expense of creativity. The church seeks to accurately calculate numerical growth at the expense of evaluating quality of spiritual growth. The church seeks predictability at the expense of awe, wonder, mystery and surprise. The church seeks to tightly control through clear divisions between clergy and laity at the expense of greater involvement of the whole body in dynamic ministry and mission of the church.
— Chuck Deglow
What will you say when Jesus asks, “Where Were You?” · 2010-07-02
So many people are just going through the motions of being church people. They attend because they want to be perceived as good people. They attend because they don’t want to let down others. They attend because there is an internal sense that it is the right thing to do. They attend because they want their children to be exposed to some moral teaching so long as they don’t get carried away with religion. They attend because they are entertained. They attend because they receive some personal benefit from hanging around people who are agreeable, friendly, and seek to be ethically correct. They attend for so many reasons that are really secondary, though not unimportant.
While it is beneficial that some people are motivated to attend for the variety of reasons mentioned above, where does love for Jesus fit into that picture?
I am amused by people who call themselves “Christian”, but do not serve in their local church. They are not loyal to their church, yet they think that God is going to use them in ministry some day. They suffer from what Mark Dever called “commitment-phobia”. They are afraid to commit because they might miss out on something better. They want to keep their options open.
What will they say to Jesus when He asks, “Where were you?” Where were you when that lost friend of yours came to visit your church? Where were you when the hurting Christian co-worker sought you out at your church? Where were you when your church ministry failed for lack of volunteers? Where were you when….?
What is your choice as a substitute for worship? Are Bible studies a worthy substitute? Are community projects a worthy substitute? Are family get-togethers a worthy substitute?
According to Luke 14, it was the practice of Jesus to be in synagogue every Sabbath. On the day of worship each week people knew where Jesus would be. On Sunday morning, do people know where you can be found? Is your pattern of worship consistent enough that people just know where you will be on Sunday morning?
What will you say when Jesus asks, “Where were you when I needed you?”
— Chuck Deglow
VBS – A waste of Time? · 2010-06-24
Why does any church go to the trouble of having VBS?
Is VBS worth the time, energy and expense?
We are one body of believers. Do we not all want to lead unbelievers to faith in Jesus? Do we not attempt to develop programs, activities and events that are effective in reaching out?
Is VBS an activity of the entire UBC or just something that involves a few people with nothing better to do?
Do you know a family that does not attend church?
Did you invite their children to come to VBS?
Did you fail to invite some children because you were not involved in VBS or because VBS is not important to you?
You need not be personally involved in VBS or even enthusiastic about VBS, but so long as it remains an effective tool to touch the lives of unchurched families through their children – your church will keep doing it. The question is, are you an active participant in the outreach efforts of your church or a disinterested observer?
VBS gives us believers in Jesus a brief but concentrated opportunity to instill biblical truths into the lives of children – some of whom may not hear them elsewhere. We are investing in the next generation and some of these entrusted to our care will become the next generation of believers. It is worth it!
— Chuck Deglow