THE TEN “SUGGESTIONS”?!
1.
No other gods.
2.
No idols.
3.
No loose god-talk.
4.
Sabbath, keep it.
5.
Honor parents.
6.
No killing.
7.
No adultery.
8.
No stealing.
9.
No lying.
10.
No coveting. (craving others’ stuff)
Forgive if this paraphrased summary
is too banal or disrespectful for your tastes.
But, I think we need to begin a
discussion about morality. It seems
to me that the un-churched “world”, and also, believers, as a whole, have both
become way too lax. (I am reluctant to
begin this discussion because it is convicting, personally!) FB friends post links to blogs that hold up
for admiration churches that are “open and accepting”. Even on a Christian forum, posts talk about 95%
of people entering marriage sexually active.
“boys will sow their wild oats” was the old adage. (Now, such a comment would just get “queer”
looks! but …)
I was reared in a fairly
conservative family. And, I was the
watchdog even in that circle! “no
dancing, no mixed-bathing, no short-shorts, no skipping church, no …” But, as I have gotten older, I have gotten a
bit more lax. I still ask the teens to
wear shirts over their swimsuits when we have a pool party; but, we have
entertained around our pool. And money –
I was taught to tithe and to be frugal. The
words “we must live simply, so that others may simply live” strike a chord in
my heart. I buy BASIC vehicles, and
drive them until they drop. But, I have
spent a few thousand bucks on a camper. Frivolous? Maybe.
I bought it to travel with my wife when we retire, and save money on
hotels! Church attendance? Once it was every time the doors were
open. Now – we too often skip pm’s. And, I do not stay on top of my kids too hard
about their patterns; though, I do have concerns, to one degree or another. Every area covered by these Ten Rules could
be a part of this discussion. But, the
point is not any one rule, but the honoring of rules. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
wisdom” is a point for discussion.
To be clear, I believe that the
heart is the crucial concern. And, I see
legalism and judgmental-ism as two
heinous sins! And, I am not advocating
some sort of “Amish asceticism”. (Nor, am I anything but repulsed by some sort of "Episcopalian libertarianism".) But, I have to ponder seriously if we are the
main ingredient in a devil’s concoction of frog
soup! There was a time, not too long
ago, when preachers spoke against theaters, short skirts, card-playing, rock
music, … Maybe they were too severe and
strict. But, it confuses me when I visit
churches in coastal areas and folks show up in swimsuits?! (but, I do like to play Rook and listen to
Chicago, sometimes.)
And, I do quibble with Book. How does rule #6 apply to war and capital
punishment? How does rule #2 apply to
religious art? How does rule #4 apply to
us, this side of the Cross? How do we
violate #10?!
The mega-churches and
emerging-church groups seem to be suggesting no guidelines. They seem to promote consumerism and “prosperity” and “acceptance”. The churches of yester-year (and, maybe,
small, rural churches?) spoke of holiness
and evangelism and sacrifice. (Paul
spoke of faith, hope, and love?!) This
is an over-simplification, but not too far off the mark, IMHO. The world is lost without Jesus, amen!
And, we seem to be losing a generation of young people. Some bloggers promote slacking off and being
relevant, whatever those things mean. To
me, if a group is no different than I am, then why would I possibly want to
join it? (Think about that!)
Are there signs we are going in
the right direction? What is the
evidence we are becoming lukewarm, worldly, and carnal. What do you think? How would you describe the state of the 21st
century church? Are we marked more by
holiness and reverence or, by Hollywood and revelry?
I see signs of revival, but they
are off-shore. (from an American
perspective) I read numbers on the
American church scene that suggests that the percentage of churched people is
dropping off 50% per decade on the age continuum. Just look at the number of bald/gray heads in
too many congregations. Is the answer to
be found in our being relevant, or is it in returning to values lost and
forgotten? Perhaps, it is some other
concern or direction that needs attention and promotion? How far have gotten from Sinai? Is the Sermon on the Mount even on our radar? Has God changed? Or, is it us?!
