Wednesday, December 05, 2007
In the Palm of Our Hand
Hello family. Sorry for the delay in posts. Busy week last week. Please pray for my son who was diagnosed with "Shingles" last week. Yes, a teenager with Shingles. He is doing better this week and the pain for the most part has disappeared.
I’m sure one reason the pain has dissipated is due to the generous gift my in-laws gave Steven. Steven’s 97 Ford Contour was on it’s last legs. We were trying to baby it until April when my Expedition would be paid off thus freeing up some money. My father-in-law being the take charge guy he is stepped up and bought Steven a new Honda Civic for Christmas, birthday, and graduation. I’ll get a picture of Steven with his new car and post it soon. No, my in-laws are not looking to adopt any more Grand-kids.
I asked our preacher, Don, if I could relay this to you and he gave me his permission. Hey, there’s a twist, having to ask the preacher if you can use “him” in an illustration.
Don went to the Bank this morning to deposit some checks for our church. As the Teller was conducting her business, she noticed the “Central Church of Christ” logon on the checks. She asked Don, “What kind of church are you? My husband and I are looking for a church.”
When Don told her we are a non-denominational church she said she and her husband would be visiting us this coming Sunday. She said they had been looking for a non-denominational church.
The following thoughts came to me as a result of Don’s story:
1. In the past I would have had a hard time describing ourselves as a “non-denominational” church. Although we have no “Earthly” home office, the fact that most Churches of Christ act in fear of other coC’s, operate in fear of being booted out of “the club,” and know that they will be either black-mailed or black-balled if they go outside and accepted practice or belief, makes us a denomination in the worse sense. I don’t think I could have made the same claim that Don did today, a few months ago.
2. I couldn’t help but think about the beginning of our movement. In it’s infancy it strived for autonomy thus making each individual congregation non-denominational. We had the very plan for being a movement of Biblical, non-denominational, autonomous churches in the palm of our hand and yet, some way, some how, we lost our autonomy. I suspect that in our movement’s infancy, individual churches began to cooperate with each other to accomplish works that each individual church could not accomplish on their own.
Nothing wrong with this concept but the danger it brings is the demands on each other to confirm to one model of church, a model foreign to the New Testament.
Although it has been wrought with pain, blackmail, un-invitations, and slander, our journey towards being a truly autonomous / non-denominational church has been worth all of the above. I know we haven’t arrived and I know we have a ways to go but I can now honestly say that if someone in our area is looking for a non-denominational church, I know where they can find one.
May God bless all of us as we journey towards what God wants us to be individually and as churches.
I’m sure one reason the pain has dissipated is due to the generous gift my in-laws gave Steven. Steven’s 97 Ford Contour was on it’s last legs. We were trying to baby it until April when my Expedition would be paid off thus freeing up some money. My father-in-law being the take charge guy he is stepped up and bought Steven a new Honda Civic for Christmas, birthday, and graduation. I’ll get a picture of Steven with his new car and post it soon. No, my in-laws are not looking to adopt any more Grand-kids.
I asked our preacher, Don, if I could relay this to you and he gave me his permission. Hey, there’s a twist, having to ask the preacher if you can use “him” in an illustration.
Don went to the Bank this morning to deposit some checks for our church. As the Teller was conducting her business, she noticed the “Central Church of Christ” logon on the checks. She asked Don, “What kind of church are you? My husband and I are looking for a church.”
When Don told her we are a non-denominational church she said she and her husband would be visiting us this coming Sunday. She said they had been looking for a non-denominational church.
The following thoughts came to me as a result of Don’s story:
1. In the past I would have had a hard time describing ourselves as a “non-denominational” church. Although we have no “Earthly” home office, the fact that most Churches of Christ act in fear of other coC’s, operate in fear of being booted out of “the club,” and know that they will be either black-mailed or black-balled if they go outside and accepted practice or belief, makes us a denomination in the worse sense. I don’t think I could have made the same claim that Don did today, a few months ago.
2. I couldn’t help but think about the beginning of our movement. In it’s infancy it strived for autonomy thus making each individual congregation non-denominational. We had the very plan for being a movement of Biblical, non-denominational, autonomous churches in the palm of our hand and yet, some way, some how, we lost our autonomy. I suspect that in our movement’s infancy, individual churches began to cooperate with each other to accomplish works that each individual church could not accomplish on their own.
Nothing wrong with this concept but the danger it brings is the demands on each other to confirm to one model of church, a model foreign to the New Testament.
Although it has been wrought with pain, blackmail, un-invitations, and slander, our journey towards being a truly autonomous / non-denominational church has been worth all of the above. I know we haven’t arrived and I know we have a ways to go but I can now honestly say that if someone in our area is looking for a non-denominational church, I know where they can find one.
May God bless all of us as we journey towards what God wants us to be individually and as churches.
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I've had shingles, Cecil, and it's terribly painful. Hope Steven feels a whole lot better really soon.
By the way, in case you didn't know this, it is highly contagious and a real danger to anyone who hasn't had chicken pox. So, he needs to stay home and rest to get better soon and not contaminate anyone else!
I'll be praying about the lady looking for a church to attend. That's a great story you shared. Thanks!
Much love, Dee
By the way, in case you didn't know this, it is highly contagious and a real danger to anyone who hasn't had chicken pox. So, he needs to stay home and rest to get better soon and not contaminate anyone else!
I'll be praying about the lady looking for a church to attend. That's a great story you shared. Thanks!
Much love, Dee
# posted by 
: 7:42 PM
: 7:42 PM 
Dee - Steven who has a high pain tolerance said its the most intensive pain he has ever felt. He stayed home last Friday and took it easy over the weekend.
Greg - Will do.
Greg - Will do.
Praying for Steven's quick recovery.............AND for the lady and her husband who said they'd be there on Sunday. We were just discussing in class last night how we are to be sowers and leave the increase up to God. And that not all seed will fall in good soil. But how neat that we just never know when a seed will fall out of our pockets into some some that is just waiting for something to grow in it! Great story. :)
SWEET Grandparents! That is a gift to all of you I am sure.
Sorry about the shingles...but a NEW CAR!!
I am glad that y'all are that church to your community. I pray that you will always be!
Sorry about the shingles...but a NEW CAR!!
I am glad that y'all are that church to your community. I pray that you will always be!
Having been down the shingles road myself, I feel for Steven. At least it's not kidney stones!
I'm anxious to hear if you have a visitor on Sunday as well.
I'm anxious to hear if you have a visitor on Sunday as well.
I will definately pray for your son. I think our 22 month old had shingles last month. We went through bottle of calamine lotton and got very little sleep.
I think it is great that Don said, "We are a non-denominational church." I hate it when older and I do mean older members of the church despise that word, especially ex-preachers. I was in class last night talking about the the fruit of the Spirit and the I mentioned that we need to be known by our "love and grace" boy he took the class off in a different direction. You young preachers and new herminutics are all about love and grace and see the church as a denomination just like everybody else. I tried to take it back on track and said no, we are are non-denominational group of Christian who love God and are cover by His love and grace and we need to let the world that is what the Church of Christ is about instead of what it was in the past, "Hell, Fire, Brimestone." Chasing people off..., Thinking we are the only ones going to heaven...Instead we need to have the attitude of love. That is why the first fruit is love. It is the most important! I won the debate last night to say the least and got class back on target.
Don is so right we are non-denomination. Our corperate office is heaven. God is our judge. The creed is the Bible. We are autonimous of eachother. Yet, we still tell churches what can and can't do.
What really gets on my nerves is that we take scripture out of context and make it law. If you Col 3. the entire is about changing your life and is not about corporate worship. It is about changing life from the world to becoming a Christian. Yet we take one verse. out of context and make it man's law. Vs. 16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms hyms and spirital songs with gratitude in your heart to God." It isn't talking about corperate worship. The entire chapter is talk about the new life as Christian.
Another reason I think it is great that Don said, "We are a non-denomination church" is because those are the fastest growing churches in america. People now don't want to associate themselves with an organization or they want to be an individual when it come to God and worship.
Great post.
Again, prayers and prayers for your son are going up to God today for your son.
I think it is great that Don said, "We are a non-denominational church." I hate it when older and I do mean older members of the church despise that word, especially ex-preachers. I was in class last night talking about the the fruit of the Spirit and the I mentioned that we need to be known by our "love and grace" boy he took the class off in a different direction. You young preachers and new herminutics are all about love and grace and see the church as a denomination just like everybody else. I tried to take it back on track and said no, we are are non-denominational group of Christian who love God and are cover by His love and grace and we need to let the world that is what the Church of Christ is about instead of what it was in the past, "Hell, Fire, Brimestone." Chasing people off..., Thinking we are the only ones going to heaven...Instead we need to have the attitude of love. That is why the first fruit is love. It is the most important! I won the debate last night to say the least and got class back on target.
Don is so right we are non-denomination. Our corperate office is heaven. God is our judge. The creed is the Bible. We are autonimous of eachother. Yet, we still tell churches what can and can't do.
What really gets on my nerves is that we take scripture out of context and make it law. If you Col 3. the entire is about changing your life and is not about corporate worship. It is about changing life from the world to becoming a Christian. Yet we take one verse. out of context and make it man's law. Vs. 16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms hyms and spirital songs with gratitude in your heart to God." It isn't talking about corperate worship. The entire chapter is talk about the new life as Christian.
Another reason I think it is great that Don said, "We are a non-denomination church" is because those are the fastest growing churches in america. People now don't want to associate themselves with an organization or they want to be an individual when it come to God and worship.
Great post.
Again, prayers and prayers for your son are going up to God today for your son.
Judy - Thanks. He is feeling better and thanks for praying for this couple.
djg - Yes they are and you're right about the gift being for us as well in so many ways.
Steve - I'll let you know if they show up. Man, you've had shingles, kidney stones, and a car in your kitchen. You need to do something that will relieve stress in your life, like teach school!
Preacherman - A whole bottle of calamine lotion on your baby? Yikes. The rest of your comment blew me away! If anyone should be grasping, praying, and molding our churches into being autonomous / non-denominational bodies, it should be preachers. If anyone should know better it should be "old preachers" and old members.
Hang in there.
Jel - Thanks. I haven't found one person who has had them say anything good about the experience.
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djg - Yes they are and you're right about the gift being for us as well in so many ways.
Steve - I'll let you know if they show up. Man, you've had shingles, kidney stones, and a car in your kitchen. You need to do something that will relieve stress in your life, like teach school!
Preacherman - A whole bottle of calamine lotion on your baby? Yikes. The rest of your comment blew me away! If anyone should be grasping, praying, and molding our churches into being autonomous / non-denominational bodies, it should be preachers. If anyone should know better it should be "old preachers" and old members.
Hang in there.
Jel - Thanks. I haven't found one person who has had them say anything good about the experience.
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