GraceConversation.com

A new blog that should interest everyone, especially those of you who are members of the Churches of Christ, is GraceConversation.com.  This blog is self-described as "A conversation regarding the disagreements that separate the conservative and progressive branches of the churches of Christ." 



It's participants are Jay Guin, an elder at the University Church of Christ in Tuscaloosa, AL and author of the blog One in Jesus; Todd Deaver, (son of Mac Deaver and grandson of Roy Deaver) minister for the Oliver Springs Church of Christ, author of the blog Bridging the Grace Divide and the book Facing our Failure: The Fellowship Dilemma in Conservative Churches of Christ; Phil Sanders, author of the blog Phil Answers and evangelist with In Search of the Lord's Way; and Gregory Tidwell a columnist for the Gospel Advocate and the minister for the Fishinger and Kenny Church of Christ in Columbus, Ohio.



The conversation has already started so check it out.  You can even get in on the conversation yourself by commenting on each of the posts.

Technorati Tags: blog,debate,unity,fellowship

CYC '09 - Fellowship, Friends, and Fun

Christian Youth Conference is an annual event that takes place in Gatlinburg, TN put on by members of the churches of Christ.  This year was my first year attending CYC and the first year that the church at Waynesboro has ever sent a group, it will not be our last.  CYC was a positive and motivating experience for everyone who attended, not just the young people.  I highly recommend that you make plans now to attend next year.

Our trip afforded us with many opportunities I never imagined at first.  My first surprise was running into so many of you who are regular readers of this blog.  It was great to finally meet you all!  Blogging has added a new dimension to my ministry and has expanded my circle of friends (more about blogging in a few days).

We left Waynesboro on Thursday afternoon immediately following school, with the time change encountered as we hit east Tennessee is was past midnight when we finally got to our cabin.  This was the first "bonus" of the weekend, our cabin was awesome!  This thing was nice, it was big, and it had a pool table, air hockey, and foosball table; the kids (and some of the adults) kept those things hot all weekend!  Friday morning we all got ready and went to eat breakfast at the Log Cabin Restaurant (I recommend the Caribbean pancakes).  Following breakfast we went up the mountain to Ober Gatlinburg for some ice skating, we had a blast.  The rest of the day the kids and ladies all walked the streets of downtown Gatlinburg for the all important shopping session.  My friend, Sam Haines, and I hung out in lieu of shopping and just talked; we learned a lot about each other and became closer friends as a result.  Friday night was the first session of CYC and it started with a bang!  My favorite part was the singing, very moving!

Saturday was an early morning as we were in session by 8:00 AM for more motivational speakers and awesome singing until the lunch break at 11:30 AM.  We were so wore out from the day of travel on Thursday and our all day fun fest on Friday that we went back to the cabin, ordered pizza for lunch and basically "vegged out" the entire afternoon.  Saturday nights session of CYC was the best, more great singing capped off by a sermon by Lonnie Jones.  Lonnie is always great and this night he was exceptional.  I don't think I'll ever forget his story about the snake and the .45 pistol!  Hilarious! (Ask me or one of the others and we will be more than glad to share it with you.)  After the session we were invited to one of our Wayne County sister congregation's cabin for a devotional. (Collinwood's group was also invited.)  This was a great way to cap off the night, Clifton was a great host and this was a spectacular way of promoting unity within neighboring congregations.  I love all the brethren at Clifton and Collinwood, both congregations have been good to me and I always love speaking for them.  Hopefully, our efforts toward unity will continue and God will be glorified as a result.  Jake Wilbanks, one of Collinwood's teenagers and my cousin, spoke at the devotional.  I was taken aback by Jake's speaking ability!  He did an outstanding job and I pray that he continues to use his talents for the Lord.

Sunday Morning we again woke up early as we were hosting a worship service at our cabin.  Clifton's group came over to join us in worship as well as Will Tidwell and three students from Heritage Christian University.  Wes, one of the HCU students led singing for us, Jeff, another HCU student, led us in prayer, as well as Chad Love from Clifton.  I enjoyed speaking for the group in such a loving atmosphere.  We shared a meal and laughter before worship and the family feeling just seemed to carry over into the service.  It was great!

CYC provided an awesome opportunity for everyone involved to grow spiritually.  The structure of the conference provided the main spiritual food, however, the part I enjoyed the most was the fellowship with friends and learning more about my brothers and sisters in Christ.  If your congregation doesn't attend CYC then take it upon yourself to organize the trip next year, I guarantee it will be a huge success.  If you had the opportunity but didn't take it this year be sure not to miss it next year.  Just some "sage" advice from a one year CYC "veteran!"

Technorati Tags: blog,faith,Family Life Ministry,unity,youth,worship

Unity in Diversity

Conflict and controversy are two sure-fire ways of exciting people into Bible study. Sadly, this kind of fire seldom resolves anything, rarely incites people to go into the world to save the lost, and most often causes division and even congregational splits. Words like "liberal" and "legalist" are discussed in church meetings and brotherhood papers so much that they seem to outnumber words that should be considered like "missions," "saving the lost," and "fellowship." Brethren become "experts" on the topic of discussion, and very often they become "one issue" Christians. If you do not believe as they believe then you are a liberal and therefore must not be fellowshipped. Soon, these brethren try to force their issue into every situation possible and onto every person possible.

Brothers and sisters, it is time for this to end! It is time for the Lord's church to stop majoring in minors. It is time for the Lord's church to complete the mission Jesus set for us and "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).

Will there be a time when doctrine is assaulted and needs defending? Sadly the answer is, "Yes." When these cases arise we must unite and defend the faith, but not every issue discussed is a matter of faith or fellowship. Jude wrote to the early Christians concerning this issue saying, "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude 3). Jude wanted to write a letter of encouragement to Christians to inspire them in their evangelistic efforts, however, because of certain people and problems he was forced to write a letter urging them to be unified.

Unity is not giving up the fight, as some perceive. Unity in diversity is often a phrase that gets tossed around like a hot potato. We should never compromise on the doctrine of Christ, yet who would claim that the Lord's church is not made up of a group of people with diverse beliefs? Paul urged the Christians at Rome to have unity in diversity. "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters" (Romans 14:1). In other words, Paul says, accept your brother without giving thought to his differing opinion.

If Christians would strive to do as Jude commands and "contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints," then we could do away with much conflict and controversy. Later in Jude, those who cause division are said to have gone the way of Balaam's error. It is interesting that even Balaam, when he listened to God, got things right. "How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?" (Numbers 23:8).

When one is seeking to please God and is not violating God's commands, then how can God's people denounce him? Paul says the same thing, "Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand" (Romans 14:4).

Do you agree or can we agree to disagree?

Circle of Protection

The Musk Ox seems to have more sense than God's family at times. When faced with danger, musk oxen form a circle with their heads and horns facing outward. In the center of this circle of protection, musk oxen place their young and weak. They gather for mutual protection rather that trying to go out on their own or running away. We can learn a lot from the Musk Ox. When things get tough, we have a tendency to withdraw from those who care for us the most. When trouble comes, instead of coming together to draw on our mutual strength, we stray from the pack and conjure up lame excuses to justify our actions.

We should all remember the old saying, "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven." As long as we are on this earth, Christians will make mistakes. Sometimes these mistakes will be embarrassing, not only to the person themselves but also to the church. Our tendency in such cases is to distance ourselves from the situation. We leave the weak ones outside the circle of protection to fend for themselves. Scripture tells us that we have an obligation to our brothers and sisters in spiritual need. "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:1, 2).

Young Christians are especially vulnerable to being abandoned in their time of need. Mature Christians should be the first to stand beside a fallen brother or sister. We need not be afraid to admit that we too have stood where they are standing. By doing so, we are not condoning their sin, but rather we are protecting them in a time of weakness. We are showing them that while perfection is not in our lot as humans, maturity is.

Jesus was not afraid to stand beside those who had fallen prey to temptation. In the case of the woman caught in adultery, Jesus stood beside her and became a one man "circle of protection." Not once did Jesus say her actions were acceptable, yet not once did Jesus act as if she was unworthy of his presence. On the contrary, once the protagonists had disappeared, those who delight in the fall of another, Jesus was able to show her the way to repentance. "Jesus declared.”Go now and leave your life of sin" (John 8:11).

Helping God's children in their darkest time of need is as close to being Christ-like as one can get. It was for this purpose that Jesus came to earth, and it is because of our sin that he suffered death on the cross. "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers" (1 John 3:16).

Some Things You Just Don't Do

There are some things that you just don't do. "You don't tug on Super Man's cape. You don't spit into the wind. You don't pull the mask off the ole' Lone Ranger and you don't mess around with Jim. (or is it Slim?)"

Seriously, the apostle Paul warned the church in Corinth about a solemn matter that they were to avoid at all costs.

"Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple" ( 1 Corinthians 3:16,17 NIV).

The Corinthian church was experiencing one of those things you just don't do. You do not destroy God's temple. The devil himself does not have the power to do what man can when it comes to this sphere of influence ( Matthew 16:15-18).

Unity among believers is paramount to Christ, and, therefore, ought to be with us as well ( John 17:21). However, we can entertain a divisive-minded brother too long. Sometimes, as foreign as is may seem, separation from one or a few is necessary to the unity of the many.

"But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned" ( Titus 3:9-11).

Paul charged the Roman church, concerning matters of opinion, to get along. "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification" ( Romans 14:19). Therefore, whether it is matters of opinion or matters of faith the biblical response is "do not destroy God's temple."

This seems complicated. We are commanded to separate to preserve unity on one hand and put forth effort to get along on the other. How are we to apply this today?

Notice the words used to describe the situations and persons involved in each situation. On one hand, there is foolish controversy and argument leading to division; the command is to warn once, then a second time, and then avoid. On the other hand, you have a person "weak in faith" ( Romans 14:1) with whom we are commanded to "make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."

Christians everywhere need to stop and think what is at stake when division or schism arises in the church. "If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple" ( 1 Corinthians 3:17).

There are some things you just don't do.

Conflict and Controversy

Conflict and controversy are two sure fire ways of exciting people into bible study.  Sadly, this kind of fire seldom resolves anything, rarely incites people to go into the world to save the lost and most often causes division and even congregational splits.  Words like "liberal" and "legalist" are discussed in church meetings and brotherhood papers so much that they seem to outnumber words that should be considered like "missions," "saving the lost," and "fellowship."  Brethren become "experts" on the topic of discussion and very often they become "one issue" Christians.  If you do not believe as they believe then you are a liberal and therefore must not be fellowshipped.  Soon, these brethren try to force their issue into every situation possible and onto every person possible.    

Brothers and Sisters it is time for this to end!  It is time for the Lord's church to stop majoring in minors.  It is time for the Lord's church to complete the mission Jesus set for us and "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).  Will there be a time when doctrine is assaulted and needs defending, sadly the answer is yes.  When these cases arise we must unite and defend the faith, but not every issue discussed is a matter of faith or fellowship.  Jude wrote to the early Christians concerning this issue saying, "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude 3).  Jude wanted to write a letter of encouragement to Christians to inspire them in their evangelistic efforts, however, because of certain people and problems he was forced to write a letter urging them to be unified.

Unity is not, giving up the fight, as some perceive.  Unity in diversity is often a phrase that gets tossed around like a hot potato.  We should never compromise on the doctrine of Christ, yet who would claim that the Lord's church is not made up of a group of people with diverse beliefs.  Paul urged the Christians at Rome to have unity in diversity.  "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters" (Romans 14:1).  In other words, Paul says, accept your brother without giving thought to his differing opinion. 

If Christians would strive to do as Jude commands and "contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints," then we could do away with much conflict and controversy.  Later in Jude, those who cause division are said to have gone the way of Balaam's error.  It is interesting that even Balaam, when he listened to God, got things right.  "How can I curse those whom God has not cursed? How can I denounce those whom the LORD has not denounced?" (Numbers 23:8).  When one is seeking to please God and is not violating God's commands then how can God's people denounce him?  Paul says the same thing, "Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand" (Romans 14:4).   

Do you agree or can we agree to disagree?

Is that a Hook in your Mouth?

Have you ever noticed how easy being mad at someone is when they are not in your presence and how hard it is to stay mad at them once you come face to face? How many of us have spent countless minutes even hours rehearsing the perfect line that expresses our anger, only to toss is into the “scrap pile” when we finally get the opportunity to deliver?

Perhaps this is why the Hebrew writer encourages us not to “give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another” (Heb. 10:25). Even more, he gives us the charge to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24). Staying mad at someone is hard as you are simultaneously trying to encourage them. When we practice true fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we also begin to learn more about them. During this learning process we gain valuable knowledge about their conduct and moods. In essence, “We know where they’re coming from.” We are not often too critical of people for irrational or abnormal behavior when they have good reason to act in such a manner.

Imagine a group of fish swimming together in a school. All of them are moving in the same direction with comparable style when suddenly one of them starts destroying the unity. He begins to twist and swerve from side to side with precarious moves. The older fish are annoyed with the nonconformity of this immature adolescent. They show their disapproval while voicing disgust, “We don’t swim like that around here.” Turning to their offspring, they declare, “That type of behavior is totally unacceptable.” Before they can take action against the renegade fish, his thrashing tail disappears at the surface of the lake. A hook in his mouth rather than rebellion in his heart was the cause of all his distasteful activity.1

Sometimes it is hard to accept the actions of another person especially when what they are doing “just isn’t done.” If we follow the advice of the Hebrew writer then we will not have to question the persons’ motives, we will already know about the hook in their mouth.

1 Illustration from “And God Wants People,” Mary Lou Lacy, 1962, p. 35

Unity is God's Will

I saw this link on Terry Laudette"s blog, A Disciple's Thoughts about a theological survey that selects which church you would fit into the best. (To take the survey for yourself go to SelectSmart.com it only takes about 5 minutes.) My results were somewhat unanticipated. While I expected for it to place Church of Christ near the top the surprising part to me was the percentage results. These represent the degree to which your thoughts agree with the general views of each particular church.



Here are my results:

(100%) 1: Church of Christ

(77%) 2: Methodist/Wesleyan/Nazarene

(75%) 3: Congregational/United Church of Christ

(64%) 4: Lutheran

(62%) 5: Anabaptist (Mennonite/Quaker etc.)

(62%) 6: Baptist (Reformed/Particular/Calvinistic)

(57%) 7: Eastern Orthodox

(57%) 8: Anglican/Episcopal/Church of England

(54%) 9: Presbyterian/Reformed

(53%) 10: Pentecostal/Charismatic/Assemblies of God

(48%) 11: Baptist (non-Calvinistic)/Plymouth Brethren/Fundamentalist

(46%) 12: Roman Catholic

(40%) 13: Seventh-Day Adventist

If you notice, with all except three, I agree over half the time and with two of those (48% and 46%) it's very close. The only church listed with which I have serious differences was Seventh-Day Adventist at 40%.



You could interpret these results in several ways I guess but my immediate reaction was surprise at the high degree of compatibility. Many people would say that the things we don't agree on with these other churches are non-negotiable items (i.e. baptism) and therefore the gulf of disagreement is wider than it would first appear. While I am fully aware of the major tenants of belief within these various groups I still stand amazed at the level of agreement.

Too often when making comparisons we stress differences instead of items of compatibility. This tactic is only useful for trying to "win" people over to your certain group, that is why we see this tactic used so often in politics. In matters of religion the discussion often goes down in similar manner to this, "We believe this about baptism and Church B believes something different, therefore there can be no unity between the two." We need to remember that we aren't called to win people to a church, we are called to win people to Christ.

When did we abandon the idea of unity? When did we decide that Jesus' prayer for unity in John 17:20-21 was unattainable? Jesus prays, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us sot hat the world may believe that you have sent me."

Unity, according to Jesus, is attainable and until he tells us to abandon his desire in this, we should work toward this unity. No one claims that it can be done overnight but the more we work toward unity the better we are. True followers of Christ have nothing to fear from the process of unity because truth will be revealed. We merely need to open our bible and open our hearts in a genuine desire to know God's will. Will change in certain areas take place? Certainly, but only as directed by the will of God through the bible.

All Christians should be willing to abandon tradition, and openly work toward unity.

Technorati Tags: Unity,church of Christ

church of Christ

Stop "Going to Church"

I read an article this weekend written by Al Maxey titled "Being the Church" that got me to thinking about the vocabulary we use to describe things religious. While I don't always agree with Brother Maxey he does place things in front of you that force you to think. This is not a review of his article, just the result of the contemplation it spurred in my own mind.

Undoubtedly you have used or heard used the phrase, "going to Church" or its various forms. We know that when people use this terminology that they are most likely referring to the worship services. Growing up we always "went to Church." It wasn't until I went off to college at Lipscomb that I heard someone (a roommate) consistently identifying the worship for what it is. He was always going to worship or inquiring what time I wanted to get up to get ready to go worship.

I never have thought that getting the terminology correct was that important. My thought has always been that if the people with whom you are communicating understand you then there is no problem. For example, where I live, in Tennessee, if you invite someone to dinner then you have just set up a lunch date. The reason being is because it is common usage in our area to have breakfast, dinner, then supper. But if you ask someone unfamiliar with our regional terminology to go to dinner, they may assume you mean the evening meal. This thought has caused me to reconsider the language I will use when referencing the church and the worship of the church.

You may find yourself asking, "What is the big deal?" Well, it's not a "big" deal but it is a deal. It is not an issue of salvation but proper terminology certainly could give birth to fuller understanding and fuller understanding can lead to a stronger faith. Church is important. In fact, one cannot be saved and be outside the church. All the saved of the world, past and present, make up the church. Man has no say when it comes to the makeup of the church, the bible tells us that those who accept the gospel and are baptized are added to the church. (Acts 2:41) The church's worship of God is necessary but is only one action a Christian participates in as part of their walk with God.

When referencing the church their are several truths we can proclaim; we are the church, we can be a church, the church is made up of the saved, the church can "do" certain things but church is not something we "do," church is a living organism of which we are a part. Worship is one of those things that the church does, We (the church) worship God.

In the mind of many people, the church does not exist outside the confines of the four walls of a "church building." How sad! In actuality, the overwhelming majority of the works of the church takes place (or should) outside the confines of the building. Notice that I inserted the word "should," this is because some congregations (local churches) have either fallen into or purposely followed the way of the language we speak. These congregations indeed "go to church" twice on Sunday and once on Wednesday but when it comes to "being a church" their worship services are often the only evidence to which thay can point. When church becomes something we do instead of something we are, or when worship is the only practice we regularly take part in then we are in a pitiful condition.

Am I naive enough to think that our language is the sole cause of this attitude among us or that a change of terminology alone will miraculously solve the problem? Of course not, but there is validity to the saying, "as a man thinks, so is he." When we "go to church" then what we do when we get there becomes, for some, the very definition of church itself.

Let's stop "going to church" and start worshiping God. Let us stop playing church and start being church.

Meet in the Middle

Just the other day I heard an old song that was once one of my favorite tunes. The song was "Meet in the Middle" by Diamond Rio. The chorus of the song goes something like this (forgive me if this reads a little off key but I have to sing the words in order to write them!);

"I'd start walking your way, You'd start walking mine, we'd meet in the middle 'neath that old Georgia pine. We gain a lot of ground when we both give a little, ain't no road too long when we meet in the middle. I love the way we work it out , thats what love is all about."

As I listened to the song I began thinking about something very near to my heart, the church. I know it might seem strange that a country music song would turn my mind toward the church, but it's true. This song extolls the lengths one will go to to be united with the one they love.
Prior to his crucifixion, Jesus prayed for the unity of believers in that time as well as those in ages to come. Jesus' prayer for Christians was that we would be one so that "the world may believe that you (God) have sent me." (John 17:20-21) I fear that we often ignore, dismiss, or refuse, to work at what Christ deemed to be a vital part of Christianity.

If we truly love each other and the church that brings us together then we will, at the very least, work toward unity. When Paul lists the "seven virtues" in Colossians 3:12-14, he concludes with this statement concerning love and unity; "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." The other virtues we are to put on as Christians are compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness. It doesn't take too long browsing the various Christian websites, blogs, and message boards on the internet to realize that compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and forgiveness are all in short supply. If these virtues are missing then it is obvious that love, "which binds them all together," is missing as well. You can find a lot of "lip service" paid to love in these places but what you don't find is the is the evidence of this proclaimed love. Instead of compassion you will find a lack of understanding, instead of kindness there is a mean spirit, instead of humility is pride in position, gentleness is replaced with aggression, and patience with a quick temper. This lack of unity is fostered on both ends of the theological spectrum, conservatives and liberals alike are guilty. Before anyone starts digging into some of my older writings, I will freely admit that, in the past, I have exhibited the same attitude and lack of love that I am presently writing about and I have a great deal of regret concerning this. So what are we to do? Is Christian unity one of those proverbial "pipe dreams" only good for theorizing but not actually achievable?

I submit that we can find the answer in the song I just sang to you, we need to meet in the middle. Our love for Christ and his church should compell us to hit the road walking to meet our Christian brethren in the middle. The middle need not necessarily signify compromise, we cannot compromise concerning the gospel. However, meeting in the middle will require all of us to compromise in things that don't concern salvation. It takes more effort to be a unified body but, if this is what Christ desires, we should all be willing to extend the effort. "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification." (Romans 14:19)

Wouldn't it be an amazing and historic day to see proudly self labeled "conservatives" and "grace-centered" Christians singing, "I love the way we worked it out, that's what love is all about." Let's set aside our labels and work toward unity