Painted expressions filling the stands
Are the best at twisting animal balloons
And it's so funny watching the magician
Pulling big green rabbits out of
little leather pouches
Under the Big Top there's a tickle in my ear
It's creepy, crawly, scary
I don't feel fear
Under the Big Top
You've got a home
If they can fill the seats
And pay the loan
There went a donkey and an elephant
Telling everyone about what is to come
And when the birdies sing, I am reminded
Not everyone who cries "Lord,
Lord" will enter the Kingdom
Under the Big Top there's a tickle in my ear
It's creepy, crawly, scary
I don't feel fear
Under the Big Top there's a tickle in my ear
It's creepy, crawly, scary
I don't feel fear
Blank expressions filling the pews
Are the best at twisted animal views
And it's so funny to watch the minister
Pulling big green rabbits out of
little leather purses
The thought struck me: is this what church is for many of us? Is church a place where we expect to either be entertained, or swindled? Let's take these thoughts one at a time.
There are many, many people today who are looking for a church home, or are dissatisfied with the church they're currently attending. One big reason for this is entertainment. If you ask people about what they look for in a church, or why they left their last church, you'll often hear "It wasn't my type of music" or "I needed more children's activities" or "The preaching didn't keep my attention." The church isn't SUPPOSED to pander to your every entertainment desire!!! Church is supposed to be more about God, and less about you! While there is nothing wrong with finding a church that will work with your kids, or your family, or that has the type of church culture that is comfortable to you (I'll just be honest, I wouldn't be comfortable in a Hispanic church, cause they're music is different, and I don't speak the language), there also needs to be far more said about our involvement in the church. To re-quote Kennedy, "Ask not what your church can do for you, but what you can do for your church." Most people who are most dissatisfied with their church for entertainment and connection issues are also least involved. They fill a pew every Sunday, but do nothing to contribute to the body of God, then wonder why they don't fit it. Forbid it, Lord, that we should take the joy of Your body, and make it about us and our own sinful amusement! This also applies to how we view change in the church. A thought I've been struggling with for a while is this: What is more important in a church, a type of music and preaching that the Christians in the pews want, or the type of worship and preaching that the lost outside the church want to hear? Are we so worried about our own preferences that we would let them get in the way of others hearing the Gospel? Lord, never allow us to stand in the way of Your Word doing the work that needs to be done!
The second issue raised in this song is about the money in a church. Money in religion tends to take on two forms in our mind. First, there's all those prosperity-gospel preachers that work and connive to swindle you from your money, using the Gospel of Christ as the tool to beat you with as they take your money. These men are despicable and I believe are heretics at best and led by Satan at worst! One of these men, the "Reverend" (I hope you can hear the sarcasm when I say that) Creflo Dollar tells his people that true believers are rich, always, and say that despite what the Bible says, Jesus was actually a wealthy man (His basis for this claim is the fact that Judas was the man who held the money for Jesus, so He must have had a lot). He makes this claim, ignoring that Jesus said that "the Son of Man (Jesus) has no place to lay His head." This, by the way, is the same Creflo Dollar that also gave an entire sermon at his 'church' about how Jesus did not come as God, but only as a man, contrary to every Christian belief since the beginning of the Church. There are men out there that are turning money into the new God, and ignoring the Gospel of Christ, to the detriment of the church. Lord, protect us from these false prophets who lead Your church astray and attempt to destroy Your truth! May they cover their faces and be silent because they have no answer before You!
However, there are also believers at the other end of the scale when it comes to money, who treat the church wrong simply because they think the pastor is 'out to get their money.' They are so worried about holding on to 'their' cash that they can't even look at church in the proper light. What they are forgetting is that nothing is yours! Everything belongs to God, and should be given freely back to Him. The Bible teaches that we owe God a tenth of what we have (the Hebrew word for 'tenth' is 'tithe'). I would maintain that a tenth is the least you owe God! In the Old Testament a tenth was given. . .in the New Testament, Jesus tells the rich young ruler "Sell everything you have and come follow me." We are not our own, and what we HAVE is not our own, and belongs to Him. Lord, don't let our own selfish view of money keep us from You, and divide us from Your church, but show us the Truth, and allow us to be the cheerful givers that You desire us to be!
No comments :
Post a Comment