Church

This morning, a newly married couple visited our church for the first time. After Bible class, they joined our row of young married couples for the assembly time. Since I was not in class, and came late to assembly I did not get a chance to meet them, and I doubt I ever will. They got up and left mid-way through…after a woman led a prayer. There are quite a few things I could say about this. I could wonder at the coincidence that our female children’s minister would pray for our children at the start of the school year on the exact same Sunday this couple happened to be visiting. I could also remark on the significance of the sermon (which they missed) being about Paul’s letter to the Phillippians. It specifically centered on the message of unification in Christ. In the second chapter Paul says if we have any encouragement from being united in Christ, any comfort from his love, any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then be like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. I might reflect on how strange it is that someone would be so repulsed by a woman saying a prayer during Sunday morning church that they would not be able to sit another minute with that body of believers. I understand feeling uncomfortable, and I even understand that some will think that a woman should not be allowed to do this…however, it does not seem so pressing an issue that it requires immediate removal from the “heathens.” I can honestly say that I might have had a similar reaction as this young couple ten years ago. However, since that time I have had many opportunities to grow in my definitions of “church”, “worship”, and “love.” Thankfully, I have been forced to examine what I believe because of circumstances that inspired inner conflict and searching. I have had many chances to sift TRUTH and TRADITION through a Biblical sieve. And I must admit, that even when I do not see eye to eye with someone on the role of women in the church, or some other hot topic, I DO still see the other person as a member of Christ’s church and an heir of the kingdom of Heaven, and I would be able to sit through a Sunday morning service with them. The way I see it, there are too many lost people out there in the world that need to see the love of Jesus for me to get hung up on a small difference of opinion between believers regarding which gender can pray during Sunday morning assembly time. If I believe women should not be allowed to pray, then I can overlook the offence because I love my fellow Christians, and our unity is more important than this issue. If a woman should be able to pray, I am not going to demand that right since I would rather defer on such a small issue to those that firmly believe it is wrong. This isn’t stooping to the lowest common denomonator…it’s an example of making an effort to let Christ’s love overcome our small disagreements so that we can shine in love to the world instead of stink of discord. If the role of women in the Sunday morning assembly time is a BIG issue for a person, I suggest they do some searching to discover what Jesus finds important. Then, churches might begin splitting because of disagreements about how to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, visit the inmates, and love our neighbors instead of whether the communion table is located at the front or rear of the building. Although, maybe if we started concentrating on what Jesus finds important, splitting would cease altogether.

Cody says, and I agree, that too much emphasis is placed on what happens between 9-12 AM on Sunday mornings when the body gathers together. Liberals will always press for more and more and conservatives will always cling to the same old same old "Biblical" ways of being together. We must worship correctly! We must get it right! - they both think. Oh, if only we could view the other 95% of our time as our worship, not the three hours we spend together on Sunday morning, we would place our focus in the right place.