Tuesday, May 23, 2006
The Dance
No... I'm not talking about a hit Garth Brooks song. I'm talking about the latest "issue" I'm aware of.
Our church is planning a singles dance at our new facility "the cube". I assume this would be the first of several installments. They've purchased a disco ball to bounce light off of and all that..... so I would guess they plan on using it more than once.
The problem is.... I go to a baptist church. Now when we talk about dancing, there are all kinds of ideas, and people will quote all sorts of scripture for and against. Our singles minister has said David danced before God and that paved the way for a singles dance. (that's the best for argument.... not counting our youth pastors argument that Jesus danced too because he was jewish) They've even aruged that this isn't divisive in a baptist church. Honestly, I don't think this type of twisted logic really helps anything. It just hurts one's credibility. There has been discussion about what sorts of music will be played and all of that.
You know.... here's the bottom line to me. We're a baptist church. A good percentage of our people will object to this function happening in our facility. That alone is enough reason to not do it. Period.
It isn't a matter of scriptural vs traditional belief systems.... or dancing right vs wrong. It comes down to two pieces of scripture to me.
From 1st Corinthians 8 " 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."
And from Romans 16 " 17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil."
While those supporting the dance insist on arguing its merits or calling the rest of us fundamentilists, or trying to persuade others that we are wrong.... I think this is about them serving their own appetites and sinning against thier brothers in Christ. This is not about them serving the church, building up the church, unifying the church, preaching the gospel, etc. This is about pushing an agenda. An agenda that calls many of us to change what we have believed for years. And not for our sake.... not for the church's sake.... not for culture's sake..... but for the sake of their own appetites.
After some time of contemplation on this issue, that's what I really think.
Romans 12 says Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. "
You know it's one of those verses that you memorize when you're in junior high. I learned that scripture years ago with the understanding that I should be warry of "the world". Now it seems that those in our own church are the ones who are pushing us to conform to the world. I wonder sometimes if some of us have temporarily lost that ability to test and approve what God's good, pleasing and perfect will is.
And maybe this will turn out to be a small thing. Maybe it will be the straw on the camel's back that causes only 5 families to leave our church. Not a big split. But how many events like this does it take to hurt our church? The answer is not many.
So for the record I want to say, I remain opposed to events that divide our church for no really good reason. And I will stand on that statement.
Our church is planning a singles dance at our new facility "the cube". I assume this would be the first of several installments. They've purchased a disco ball to bounce light off of and all that..... so I would guess they plan on using it more than once.
The problem is.... I go to a baptist church. Now when we talk about dancing, there are all kinds of ideas, and people will quote all sorts of scripture for and against. Our singles minister has said David danced before God and that paved the way for a singles dance. (that's the best for argument.... not counting our youth pastors argument that Jesus danced too because he was jewish) They've even aruged that this isn't divisive in a baptist church. Honestly, I don't think this type of twisted logic really helps anything. It just hurts one's credibility. There has been discussion about what sorts of music will be played and all of that.
You know.... here's the bottom line to me. We're a baptist church. A good percentage of our people will object to this function happening in our facility. That alone is enough reason to not do it. Period.
It isn't a matter of scriptural vs traditional belief systems.... or dancing right vs wrong. It comes down to two pieces of scripture to me.
From 1st Corinthians 8 " 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall."
And from Romans 16 " 17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil."
While those supporting the dance insist on arguing its merits or calling the rest of us fundamentilists, or trying to persuade others that we are wrong.... I think this is about them serving their own appetites and sinning against thier brothers in Christ. This is not about them serving the church, building up the church, unifying the church, preaching the gospel, etc. This is about pushing an agenda. An agenda that calls many of us to change what we have believed for years. And not for our sake.... not for the church's sake.... not for culture's sake..... but for the sake of their own appetites.
After some time of contemplation on this issue, that's what I really think.
Romans 12 says Do not be conformed to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. "
You know it's one of those verses that you memorize when you're in junior high. I learned that scripture years ago with the understanding that I should be warry of "the world". Now it seems that those in our own church are the ones who are pushing us to conform to the world. I wonder sometimes if some of us have temporarily lost that ability to test and approve what God's good, pleasing and perfect will is.
And maybe this will turn out to be a small thing. Maybe it will be the straw on the camel's back that causes only 5 families to leave our church. Not a big split. But how many events like this does it take to hurt our church? The answer is not many.
So for the record I want to say, I remain opposed to events that divide our church for no really good reason. And I will stand on that statement.
Monday, May 01, 2006
Just Blogging
I don't have much to say. Finally getting over the kidney stone. That was not much fun :) They had left a "stint" inside me last week to help me heal up. I had been dreading the removal of it. That happened this morning. Let me just say that I was wise to dread it's removal. But anyway, I'm officially on the road to healing.
Off to Houston bright and early tomorrow morning. 3 days down there for work. Nothing like living in a sauna. I don't know how those people down there do it day in and day out during the spring and summer.
We're officially through recording the CD. I've been mixing on it for a couple of weeks..... and I think it's done. We're working on the artwork, and trying to pick a name. Hopfully we'll have it shiped off to the manufacturer in a couple of short weeks. I'm pretty excited about it. I think it's going to sound real good.
I think after this post, that I may try my hand at writting devotionals or something. So, besides Grfted In news... I think that's what I want this blog to focus on. We'll see how that goes.
Off to Houston bright and early tomorrow morning. 3 days down there for work. Nothing like living in a sauna. I don't know how those people down there do it day in and day out during the spring and summer.
We're officially through recording the CD. I've been mixing on it for a couple of weeks..... and I think it's done. We're working on the artwork, and trying to pick a name. Hopfully we'll have it shiped off to the manufacturer in a couple of short weeks. I'm pretty excited about it. I think it's going to sound real good.
I think after this post, that I may try my hand at writting devotionals or something. So, besides Grfted In news... I think that's what I want this blog to focus on. We'll see how that goes.
