Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Why Do It?
Something that Brady (http://www.evendays.org/) wrote in his last post (“Gotta Go To Church) inspired today’s post. I came away with the question, “What is it that motivates folks to want to attend church?” It made me think of my journey and my commitment to God.
For me, I was a sports junkie. Living in central Florida with our year round weather, I played in 3 softball leagues, city league basketball, played tennis, racquetball, and tried to fit in some camping in my early adult life. Church was a place to go to meet some friends occasionally as well as have a venue to play softball. What made me crossover from “causal Christian” to whatever I am today?
The “fire starter” was (http://gregengland.com/) Greg. He was our Preacher in Rockledge and we grew to be close friends. As I began to look past our friendship I was captivated by Greg’s approach to Scripture. He was the first to teach the fundamentals of asking:
1. What was the context of the passage?
2. Who was it written to?
3. When was it written?
4. Who wrote it
5. What was going on at the time the text was written and so on?
I found that approach appealing and enticing. Now it goes without saying that for the most part, I’m a social animal. The idea of being able to serve folks and do it with others was appealing and still is. To this day I always believe that I make a better “Deacon” than Elder.
Becoming part of something larger also was enticing. When I attended my first Pepperdine Bible Lectures, I can still remember standing outside after an evening Praise Service at the Smothers Theater. There were crowds of people laughing and fellowshipping which I’m sure included a trip over to the Cafeteria for some AWP pie. I remember looking into the nighttime sky, taking in the cool air, and realizing that I “belonged” to something that was bigger than me or my local church.
I know, like my personality the above is a random collections of thoughts. How about yours? What made you step over the line, want to follow Jesus, and commit yourself to a local body of Christ? Happy thoughts.
For me, I was a sports junkie. Living in central Florida with our year round weather, I played in 3 softball leagues, city league basketball, played tennis, racquetball, and tried to fit in some camping in my early adult life. Church was a place to go to meet some friends occasionally as well as have a venue to play softball. What made me crossover from “causal Christian” to whatever I am today?
The “fire starter” was (http://gregengland.com/) Greg. He was our Preacher in Rockledge and we grew to be close friends. As I began to look past our friendship I was captivated by Greg’s approach to Scripture. He was the first to teach the fundamentals of asking:
1. What was the context of the passage?
2. Who was it written to?
3. When was it written?
4. Who wrote it
5. What was going on at the time the text was written and so on?
I found that approach appealing and enticing. Now it goes without saying that for the most part, I’m a social animal. The idea of being able to serve folks and do it with others was appealing and still is. To this day I always believe that I make a better “Deacon” than Elder.
Becoming part of something larger also was enticing. When I attended my first Pepperdine Bible Lectures, I can still remember standing outside after an evening Praise Service at the Smothers Theater. There were crowds of people laughing and fellowshipping which I’m sure included a trip over to the Cafeteria for some AWP pie. I remember looking into the nighttime sky, taking in the cool air, and realizing that I “belonged” to something that was bigger than me or my local church.
I know, like my personality the above is a random collections of thoughts. How about yours? What made you step over the line, want to follow Jesus, and commit yourself to a local body of Christ? Happy thoughts.
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To refer to yourself as a "social animal" is an understatement of grave magnitude! What pushed me over the line was a conversation in college with Batsell Barrett Baxter. I didn't take his advice until years later, but he started me on the road. It was the reading of such authors as Charles Swindoll, Phillip Yancey, Terry Rush, and yes even Max Lucado that helped me see that it truly is God's grace and not our efforts that save us.
Trying to be good enough was an impossibility and an energy drain, but that was how we were taught. Then going to the Pepperdine lectures and hearing men such as Rubel Shelley, Oliver Howard, Randy Harris, Mike Cope, Rick Atchley, and Joe Beam sparked the fire. I'd heard great preaching from a guy in North Alabama by the name of Haskel Sparks, but he was so maligned by the "brethren" there that I dismissed him. By the way, he no longer preaches and has nothing to do with any church because of the damage done by "the brethren" but he was one of the first to ignite a passion for the Lord. I wish I could tell him that.
Trying to be good enough was an impossibility and an energy drain, but that was how we were taught. Then going to the Pepperdine lectures and hearing men such as Rubel Shelley, Oliver Howard, Randy Harris, Mike Cope, Rick Atchley, and Joe Beam sparked the fire. I'd heard great preaching from a guy in North Alabama by the name of Haskel Sparks, but he was so maligned by the "brethren" there that I dismissed him. By the way, he no longer preaches and has nothing to do with any church because of the damage done by "the brethren" but he was one of the first to ignite a passion for the Lord. I wish I could tell him that.
Greg - You'er always welcomed to write as long a comment as you wish. Thanks for the insight and the history. Hopefully we'll be able to hang out at "Jerry's Place" again this Spring.
I grew up a three-time-a-weeker. Church was family. Close members were Uncle and Aunt, though no blood relations. They would have, and still would, given their lives for me.
Their love has made me want to love more. They had dreams for me… They encouraged me… They loved my family.
Sometimes I have my doubts, mostly about not living out the potential that God has put in me, sometimes about my own weaknesses, but, as mentioned above, their is no eternal life without God's grace. Truly counting on that grace till transformation will be my real conversion.
Their love has made me want to love more. They had dreams for me… They encouraged me… They loved my family.
Sometimes I have my doubts, mostly about not living out the potential that God has put in me, sometimes about my own weaknesses, but, as mentioned above, their is no eternal life without God's grace. Truly counting on that grace till transformation will be my real conversion.
Brady - Thank you for sharing. I love the "Uncles and Aunts" that you mentioned. We have that at our church in which I'm "Uncle Cecil" to several of the kids as their parents are "Uncles and Aunts" to my son.
You reminded me of how much love I've been shown in my life. What a gift it is as well as a goal to shoot for as we strive, sometimes fail, sometimes get it right, to be Jesus to the world around us.
Thank you again my friend.
You reminded me of how much love I've been shown in my life. What a gift it is as well as a goal to shoot for as we strive, sometimes fail, sometimes get it right, to be Jesus to the world around us.
Thank you again my friend.
I grew up being "made" to go to church. I don't remember very many services and, for the most part, it was boring and had no real meaning in my world. I hated the clothes, disliked the songs, and did understand the real meaning of what was going on.
Looking back, however, it is the relationships I had at our home church. I really didn't go to school with many of my "church friends." So, I think what made it all bearable for me was the "church friends" I had.
Church began to be important to me after I married Ellen. It was a immature way of thinking about it, but I went to church to make her happy. Little did I know that God was preparing me for what was to come.
When I gave my life back to God that Sunday, the rest is history. I now go to church because of the strength I gain from my Creekside family. It is a necessity in the most "necessary" meaning of that word.
It is a breath of life in a week of struggle. It is a sweet smell in the midst of the stench of life. It is a beautiful pause in an ugly world. It is a time when I get to see the face of God in my brothers and sisters.
What a change in attitude that is from times past!!
Looking back, however, it is the relationships I had at our home church. I really didn't go to school with many of my "church friends." So, I think what made it all bearable for me was the "church friends" I had.
Church began to be important to me after I married Ellen. It was a immature way of thinking about it, but I went to church to make her happy. Little did I know that God was preparing me for what was to come.
When I gave my life back to God that Sunday, the rest is history. I now go to church because of the strength I gain from my Creekside family. It is a necessity in the most "necessary" meaning of that word.
It is a breath of life in a week of struggle. It is a sweet smell in the midst of the stench of life. It is a beautiful pause in an ugly world. It is a time when I get to see the face of God in my brothers and sisters.
What a change in attitude that is from times past!!
Besides family encouragement, I can point to 3 people who influenced me to aim for real relationship in and with the Lord. My parents were faithful when I was a young child and certainly wanted me to be. But there was a wide span during my early growing-up years that they didn't go to church. By the time I was approaching the "age of accountability," my sister had "defected" to another fellowship and I was spending a lot of time with her. She was taking me to church. My folks grew concerned that I would follow in her footsteps. (I know, I know......but that's the way it was.) I remember going to a gospel meeting in a very small town and hearing a preacher whose identity I don't recall. Even at that age, the simplicity of his approach to Scripture impressed me. I began to study on my own, and later, we went to another gospel meeting in which a man named Boyd Morgan was preaching. He baptized me. I was 13.
Sometime shortly before or after my baptism, one of the elders at the Corning Church of Christ came to see us. Roy and Orlena Thomas, now both gone to their reward, just simply came and asked us to come to church, pointing out how much I needed to be there. That's all it took. My mom started taking me almost immediately.
That would have been in the summer of 1962, if I have my story straight, and in the fall this phenomenal fellow named Landon Saunders began full-time pulpit preaching at Corning. The depth of commitment I saw in his life led me to want to deepen my relationship with God, the church, and other Christians. I had the great privilege of learning from him from age 13 to age 20. This set my course.
I've departed from that course a number of times and have often failed. But I'm always led back to the race for the prize. There are many others who have been huge influences, like Doris, and like, of late, my blogging community.
I guess I could sum it up by saying the desire to be a Christian was instilled in me, and stoked by, "the good folks in my life."
Like Greg, sorry I ran on and on. It's hard to answer a question like this in a few words.
:)
Sometime shortly before or after my baptism, one of the elders at the Corning Church of Christ came to see us. Roy and Orlena Thomas, now both gone to their reward, just simply came and asked us to come to church, pointing out how much I needed to be there. That's all it took. My mom started taking me almost immediately.
That would have been in the summer of 1962, if I have my story straight, and in the fall this phenomenal fellow named Landon Saunders began full-time pulpit preaching at Corning. The depth of commitment I saw in his life led me to want to deepen my relationship with God, the church, and other Christians. I had the great privilege of learning from him from age 13 to age 20. This set my course.
I've departed from that course a number of times and have often failed. But I'm always led back to the race for the prize. There are many others who have been huge influences, like Doris, and like, of late, my blogging community.
I guess I could sum it up by saying the desire to be a Christian was instilled in me, and stoked by, "the good folks in my life."
Like Greg, sorry I ran on and on. It's hard to answer a question like this in a few words.
:)
Keith - I can identify with ("I now go to church because of the strength I gain from my Creekside family.") this statement. Thanks for sharing.
Judy - I remember seeing a film series that was done by Landon Saunders. Thank you for sharing your journey.
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Judy - I remember seeing a film series that was done by Landon Saunders. Thank you for sharing your journey.
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