The Arsonists Among Us

"Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business..." 1 Thessalonians 4:11


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Sometimes I wonder if anyone has even read that verse before. Did I miss the memo which said it had been removed from the Bible?

This thing about many churches--mega and otherwise-- canceling services on this upcoming Christmas Sunday--

--why do so many Christians believe it is their right and privilege--their business--to voice an opinion about the decisions being made by pastors and boards of churches thousands of miles away?

Does no one realize that pastors and elders have God-given rights to make decisions for their own churches? Does anyone know that whenever a pastor and his staff make a decision, there will always be those in their congregation who agree and those who disagree with that decision?

If a church chooses to stay open on Christmas, there will be those who whine and accuse all decision-makers of being anti-family and obsessed and led by tradition. Some members will call house to house complaining about being made to look ungodly if they choose to stay home that day with their families. On the other side, if a church chooses to close on Christmas, the pastor and board will be accused of being anti-God, anti-Jesus and anti-true-meaning-of-Christmas.

Is it any wonder why hundreds of pastors quit the ministry every week of the year?

Blogland lately has been like one huge gathering on a beach at night, with everyone sitting around a fire over which is a spit where, one by one, a miniature of every Christmas-closing-church is turned round and round, slowly, over that fire. And as each church tied to that spit turns and burns, people sitting in the bright glow criticize its decisions, its size, its motives, and what is taught there each Sunday, even though no one in that circle has ever stepped foot inside. No, everyone lives hundreds and thousands of miles away, yet they feel qualified to express an opinion about the very soul and heart of churches they've never even seen.

(Heaven forbid if God ever told us now living in this 21st century, "Behold! I do a new thing!")

And meanwhile, back in the world, the press covers that huge beach 'holy barbeque' and spreads the caustic news across the land. And the people reading newspapers and blogs roll their eyes and make sarcastic remarks about Christians---and satan is handed yet one more victory.

And after the barbeque, the clueless ones sit around in the sand and wonder, "Why don't more people in our nation go to church throughout the year? Why are so many people anti-God?"

Many Christians say our nation isn't under judgment right now because judgment begins with the house of the Lord--first--and that hasn't yet taken place.

I wonder.



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" There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him:haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers." Proverbs 6:16-19