: Re-Issue of “Some Bad Tendencies Common to Churches”-Oct. 25, 2017

 

          A year and a half ago I wrote concerning some very bad trends or tendencies that are common in churches.  I am even more convinced today than I was then that churches are spiritually handicapping themselves because they have taken their eyes off of Christ, Who is head of His church.  The items I wrote about are not insignificant because they hinder, to one degree or another, the church from doing its work and reflecting the glory of Christ in this dark world.  If the true identity of the church is clouded or hidden altogether, then the church can easily morph into something other than the true church of the Lord Jesus Christ.  In many, many places that is exactly what has happened.  Many churches are majoring on minors and making minors into majors.

 

Allen Raynor Weblog: “Some Bad Tendencies Common to Churches”

(June 30, 2016)

          The church, in its purest sense, is the most wonderful entity or institution to ever exist.  The desire of the Lord Jesus is “That He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph. 5:27) The ideally functioning body of Christ, spoken of in Acts 2:41-47, is something everyone should long to be a part of.  But we know there is no such thing as the ideal church in the “here and now” because of us weak and frail, sinful, selfish and self-absorbed human beings that compose the local church.

          There seems to be a handful of tendencies or traps into which churches are prone to fall.  Each of these hurt the purpose and witness of the body of Christ in the world.  They may seem minor, but they are far more major than we realize.  The church is to reflect the light and glory of it’s Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but if it is not very careful, it takes on many unfortunate characteristics of the dark world in which it exists.

          Churches have the tendency to become a “museum of saints.”  The “saved” may be seen as, not unlike, a collection of “trophies” celebrating past programs, initiatives, or the tenure/ministry of a former pastor.  The past may be elevated and glorified and there is little talk about the future.  Past pastors, past staff members, past programs, past Sunday School attendance, past church attendance, past youth groups, past music programs, past building programs, past church planting efforts, etc.  I once had a key leader, in the church in which I was serving at the time, brag to me about how active the church had been in church planting.  He said it had started several mission churches.  But, the most recent one had been more than 75 years earlier!  Churches with longer histories have greater tendencies to become museums for saints where “the past” rules.

          Churches have the tendency to become a “business.”  There are easy-to-see reasons for why this often happens.  Without becoming “incorporated” churches have been advised they are putting themselves at risk and most churches have done so.  However, the downside of this is that it causes churches to claim a status that is actually “inconsistent” with its purpose for existence.  Compliance with certain laws tend to contribute to a looming/hovering threat that the church might lose it’s “tax exempt” status.  It is often portrayed, and even feared as being a worst-case-scenario perhaps even worse than disobedience to God!  The body of Christ (the church) above all else, is to be separate from the world.  It will never attract the world by being like the world.  It will only attract it by being different.  In a multitude of ways, the typical 21st -century church sadly functions far-too-much like a business.  Issues related to insurance, payroll, copy machine contracts, utilities, office supplies, policies and procedures, profits and losses, contract negotiations, compliance issues, and much more are consistent with the business world.  But, as much as possible those things have got to be seen as veritable tools to help with the real purpose of the church and not ever become a “driving” or “controlling” force.  In this area, it is very easy to get the “horse” and “cart” reversed and indeed many churches have done so.

          Churches have the tendency to become “banks.”  When people give their tithes and offerings they are giving it out of obedience to God for the work of ministry.  Some are doing so quite sacrificially.  Some churches accumulate tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of dollars, without using it for the work of ministry.  The idea of “hoarding” is far from the minds of most churches, but it still happens.  One church business meeting I was a part of several years ago had a lengthy discussion of banks and institutions and how the church could make the most interest off “their” money.  It does not seem this is what God intended to be done with tithes and offerings, but it sounds a lot like the poor steward in Jesus’ parable of the talents (Mat. 25:14-30).  There are two types of investment – one is in the world and the other is in kingdom work.  The point Jesus stressed was the importance of investing “talents” in kingdom work, not burying it in the ground or in a bank account.  What often happens is that churches see assets like property, buildings, bonds, CD’s, savings, large checking accounts, designated funds, etc. as “security.”  But it gives a “false” sense of security at best.  At worst it facilitates disobedience.  Churches are to be “channels” whereby all money given is used for the work of ministry.

          Churches have the tendency to become social clubs or country clubs.  It is what Thom Rainer terms “churchianity” as opposed to “Christianity” in his book I Will: 9 Traits of the Outwardly Focused Christian.  Practicing “churchianity” is when I make it all about me – my likes and dislikes, my taste in music, my desired temperature for the building, my color for the new carpet, my method for doing youth ministry, my way to do Sunday School or small groups, my way to run the kitchen, my way to do children’s ministry, my style of preaching, my, my, my . . .  Whether knowingly or unknowingly, many simply expect comfort and satisfaction with their church and if they are not receiving it, they will either stop coming or, take their “business” elsewhere to another church until they find what they are looking for and that which brings them the comfort and satisfaction they desire.  This is NOT Christianity, but rather “churchianity.  The church is the place where we, as the body, unite for worship and to sharpen our spiritual axes and then head back out to the work of ministry!  In the early twentieth-century, evangelist Billy Sunday famously said “The church is not a dormitory for sleepers, it is an institution for workers; it is not a rest camp, it is a front line trench.”  Sadly, local bodies have many members practicing “churchianity” and not “Christianity;” therefore, many churches much more closely resemble social clubs or country clubs than New Testament churches.

          There are plenty of other tendencies that harm the church, but these are but a few I have observed in my years of service as a pastor.  The best, and perhaps only way, to put these problems/tendencies to bed is to get back to God’s revealed Word.  The Latin expression “Ad Fontes” which means “Back to the sources” was the battle cry of The Renaissance period where there was a sharply renewed interest in the first principles and sources of truth and knowledge.  There was widespread belief that they had drifted away from their solid, and former, foundation.  What we need in the church of the 21st Century is a “Renaissance” by getting back to the source – the Bible -  and see how we can be a better, more “New Testament” grounded, church.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

Re-Issue of “The Question of God’s Justice in the Face of Growing Evil”-Oct. 12, 2017

Two years ago this month I wrote about the age-old struggle believers have to try and understand why God allows evil to seemingly prosper in this world.  Often God seems silent while people struggle, hurt, and search for answers.  This is certainly true when we consider the recent mass-shooting in Law Vegas.  But, even greater than that one single event is the struggle to understand why God allows day to day immorality to be the rule and traditional Christian morality to be increasingly the exception.  The Prophet Habakkuk wrestled with God on these questions as he tried to understand the justice of God.

 

Allen Raynor Weblog: The Question of God’s Justice

in the Face of Growing Evil

(Oct. 8, 2015)

 

          These are trying times for Christians.  If you are like me, you have probably seen more ungodly and sinful things happen in just the last 6 months than you perhaps believed you would ever see in your lifetime.  There is no need to rehash all those things here.  Believers know what the Bible teaches and what Christianity has stood for its entire 2000 year existence.  Further, we know what God has said from the very beginning going back to His creation of the world.  So, in light of those things, why do the wicked seem to be winning?  Why is sin celebrated and seemingly every evil cause championed from the President, to some candidates running for President, to many members of Congress, to judges, governors, mayors, the Hollywood community, and other influential leaders?  Is the situation really new or does it only seem new since it is beyond the scope of what we have personally known?  Will we experience any relief from all that is happening?  How best should we process these things?

          The Prophet Habakkuk struggled to understand seeming contradictions within the framework of God’s justice.  He grappled with how the God of love could allow perceived injustice and even go so far as to use unjust people for His purposes.  The theological question of “theodicy” is explored in the 3 short chapters of the Book of Habakkuk.  Theodicy seeks to answer the question “Is God just?”  When things happen that appear to contradict what we know about the justice of God; how then can we continue to believe He is just in all His ways?

          He asks God a first question and then a second.  He is reverential in the manner in which he asks, but still feels the compelling need to ask.  His questions and God’s responses leave us with some important implications about God and how He works.  First; personal faith can lead to powerful problems.  Having faith does not answer every question.  In fact, there are times where it creates even more questions.  Faith is trusting when we do not know everything.  Second; the response believers should have in the face of evil is trust.  Trust is not always easy and often seems to be against our natures.  Third; thinking rationally cannot penetrate all the mysteries of evil.  But it is faith that strengthens us in the face of great evil.

          One popular myth says that when you trust Christ as your Savior, all your problems will vanish.  The truth is, your biggest problem has gone away, but many of the smaller problems remain.  However, the way you view those problems and the perceived weight of those problems will, almost certainly, change.  Problems are a part of life.  Even evil itself is a nasty reality.  Sometimes we feel like echoing David’s words in Psalm 22:1 where he cried out “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”  Many apply this to America, believing God has somehow turned His back on us.  But, something we must always keep in mind is that nations, countries, and all geographical territories for that matter, are relatively inconsequential to God.  His eternal plans are about bringing a people unto Himself, saving them from the wrath that will befall this world.  The fate of every nation is exactly the same.  They all will cease to exist sooner or later.  There are no countries, as we understand them, within the Kingdom of God.  So often the big picture is lost because of the glaring light of the little picture.  Our view of the whole forest is obstructed by the thousands of trees all around us.

          Mankind has no shortage of advice as he grapples with the ability to understand the world in which he lives in rational terms.  The folly of man is seen in Job as one by one Job’s friends offer their insights, but in the end these are truths only known to God.  Mankind has always been afraid to utter the words “I don’t know.”  But we ought not be so frightened to defer to our God, Who is omniscient.

          From Habakkuk’s vantage point, God seemed indifferent.  How could God allow the wicked Babylonians to lay a hand on God’s chosen people?  It seemed exploitative and certainly unjust.  But God used the wicked all throughout the course of biblical history to accomplish His ultimate purposes.  This will be true right up until the end.  In the Book of Revelation, evil will do what evil does right up until the point God destroys it once and for all.  We naturally ask why God will allow the things described in Revelation to actually take place.  After all, He could prevent them and all could happen in a different way.  God has voluntarily bound Himself to His Word and He is glorified in the proclamation and execution of all He has declared to be true.  If he altered anything, the most fundamental truth of Christianity, the reliability of His Word, would be destroyed.  Therefore truth is held as a higher priority than satisfying the passing daily desires of mankind.  Besides all of that, mankind only has in view 1 piece of a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle by which to understand God’s ultimate plan.  But, he has described for us what the final picture, when assembled, will look like and he has promised that there will be a day when it will be fully assembled.  That picture is described in Revelation 21 and 22.

          In Hab. 2:4, God tells the prophet, “The just shall live by his faith.”  If we trust God, we must live by faith.  How do you trust anyone or anything?  It is a voluntary commitment, just like making a wedding vow.  It is saying I consciously commit myself to trusting/having faith in you.  It is no different when it comes to God.  We must determine that, even though evil is rampant and the foundations of this world are shaking and will soon crumble, our trust is in the Lord.

          In the end, Habakkuk makes one of the most pointed and beautiful confessions of faith in all the Bible (3:17-19) but it did not come apart from much mental anguish.  Commentator John Currid writes “At the close of the book we see no complaints by the prophet.  He now understands.  So what we see is Habakkuk’s pure, unadulterated joy and triumphal singing to the sovereign God of Israel.” (John Currid; The Expectant Prophet: Habakkuk Simply Explained; 136)  He finally came to understand that no matter what happens on this earth, God will deliver His people, not necessarily from the discomfort of today but for His glory for all eternity.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

Murder Begins in the Heart - Oct. 4, 2017

In a world where terrorism, murder, and even mass-murder are common place it takes a lot to shock us anymore.  But the murderous acts of Stephen Paddock (64) on last Sunday evening at a concert in Las Vegas leaves people scratching their heads.  Something like this only makes any sense at all if one can put it into some sort of context.  In recent years, Islamic terrorists have been behind much of the chaos and losses of life in this world.  But, as of yet there is no clear ties to I.S.I.S., Al-Qaida or any such radical group.  There may never be any such links established. Paddock does not, based on what we currently know, fit any sort of standard criminal or terrorist profile. 

          Many want to blame guns, as they commonly do.  According to some the answer is, generally speaking, more laws, more gun control, and more governmental oversight.  But is that the answer?  Problems reveal themselves through signs and symptoms that sometimes are hard to diagnose.  Whether it is your car, a household appliance, or your health, the symptoms tell you there is an underlying cause for the display of the symptoms such as a funny noise, a strange smell, or some type of pain.  Treating symptoms does not correct the root of the problem.

          People have been killing people ever since Cain slew his brother Abel in Genesis 4. Abel was not only the first person ever murdered, but was actually the first person to ever die at all.  It is quite revealing that the first ever human death was by murder.  What a foreshadowing of things to come.  Presumably Cain murdered Abel by hitting him over the head with a rock.  When God confronted him about the act he displayed a serious heart problem. Cain was sullen toward God, and even implicitly blamed Him because He did not accept his heartless offering of grain.  God, however laid the blame for the wicked, selfish, unthinkable, murderous deed at the feet of Cain because of the malice harbored in his heart, for all appearances at Abel, but more accurately at God.

          Down through history the number of actual murders, if known, would be staggering.  The truth we do know is that there are over 25 thousand murders just in the United States each year.  That is an average of almost 70 per day.  Murder is so common place that some murders do not even make the local news.  The only murders that make national news are ones involving someone famous, ones involving large numbers of people, or ones with strange or exotic twists.  Sadly, murder is a part of life and has been since very shortly after sin entered the world.

         The Scriptures are clear that Satan is a liar, a thief, and a murderer and has been so from the beginning.  He mocks God through pitting man (God’s creation made in His own image) against fellow man.  He works through both precise targeting as well as broad.  He seeks to kill an individual, a nation, or even the whole world if possible.

          Mankind has killed one another in a multitude of ways down through history.  In fact, it would be hard to find any type of object that has not been used by someone to kill another person at some point in history.  Today people are poisoned, strangled, smothered, stabbed, shot, ran over, blown up, burned to death, bludgeoned, etc.  While these may appear separate things there is a common thread that runs through them all.  

          In Matthew 5:23-24 Jesus taught that murder begins in the heart.  It begins with hatred.  Hatred of man/men cannot coexist with love for God.  Hatred of man/men is fixation on one’s own evil desires which have already replaced God in a person’s life.  James wrote that “Each one is tempted [to sin] when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed.  Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is gull-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15)  The first thing a murderer hates is God’s Word which teaches Him to love his fellow man.  The Apostle John writes in 1 John 4:7-8 “Beloved let us love one another, for love is of God and he who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”  Murder is the antithesis of love.  Murder is sticking one’s finger in the very eye of God and mocking Him and His creation (mankind made in the image and likeness of God).  To commit murder on a mass-scale such as we see in Las Vegas only shows how deeply embittered Paddock’s heart really was toward His Creator.

          When secular, worldly minded, politically motivated politicians and individuals call for tougher laws, gun control, etc. after a mass-shooting they are merely falling back on what they think they know.  They believe that man’s laws can control human behavior.  Not even God’s laws have controlled human behavior, how much more weak, frail, ineffective, and pathetic are man’s laws.  Criminals have no respect for God’s laws, so it would be ridiculous to think they would somehow respect man’s laws.  Murder has always been against the law, but the numbers of murders are incalculable.  God gave to Moses, carved in stone tablets, the commandment “Thou Shall Not Murder,” at Sinai but it has not stopped millions upon millions of homicides worldwide over the last few millennia.

          Murder is a symptom fueled by hatred and the only cure is a personal relationship with God the Creator.  The wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, wrote “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all.” (Ecc. 12:13)  This verse applies to Stephen Paddock, Hitler, you, and me all equally.  He goes on to write in the next verse “For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.” (vs. 14)   No matter who we are and no matter what we have done we will stand before God in judgment and we are told “Every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”  Only then will there be no more murder.  “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20)

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

The NFL, the Media, and Selective Outrage-Sept. 28, 2017

The biggest story of the past few days has to do with the National Football League and a number of players taking a knee during the playing of the National Anthem, or in the case of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the whole team minus one, staying in the locker room until after it was over.

          I was struck last Sunday that this made such huge headlines, especially when other things of a far more disturbing nature were going on in this country, such as a shooting at a church in Tennessee by a Sudanese immigrant. Melanie Smith, 39 was shot and killed in her own church parking lot by a gunman.  It is unthinkable that such a safe place became so violent.  But the disproportional coverage by the media is nothing new.  Former CBS Newsman Bernard Goldberg and author of several books about media bias has been fond of saying for years “We live in the United States of Entertainment” and his words have been proven many times over and were proven yet again this past weekend.

          The big story; the real scandal in the NFL for serious journalists, should be the selective enforcement of rules by the league.  But, that is not what is being reported.  The NFL has strict and detailed policies regarding player conduct and demeanor during the playing of the National Anthem.  Those rules have been violated in recent seasons by a few players, but blatantly, and in mass, on Sunday by more than 200 players.  Mike Tomlin, Head Coach of the Steelers, heavily pressured his whole team to stay in the locker room and even made it clear in a press conference afterwards that he was disappointed with offensive tackle, former army ranger, and Bronze Star recipient Alejandro Villanueva for going out of the players tunnel and standing with hand over heart for the playing of the national anthem.  So, there is a price to be paid for freedom of expression.  Taking a stand has often proven costly; however what we have seen for many years is that it consistently cuts only one way.  Liberal causes, can and should, be championed even if they violate the rules or the law, but conservative causes cannot and should not be championed even if they are within the bounds of the rules and the law.

          NFL players got in trouble for wearing items and slogans on their uniforms in commemoration of 9/11 and the reasoning given by the NFL was that it was not a place to make political statements, especially those that some might deem offensive.  Quarterback Tim Tebow faced a media firestorm and tremendous backlash for taking a knee in respect for God and giving thanks. Editorials lambasted him for bringing his “religion” and/or “personal beliefs” to football.  Football, they said was a job, a sport, a pastime; anything but a place to express any personal views.

          Ratings are down for the NFL by significant margins.  Providers such as Direct TV are offering partial refunds to subscribers of their NFL package.  When the NFL goes to negotiate contracts with cable and satellite providers for next season they will be in a weak position and stand to lose millions of dollars.  People are vowing to not watch the rest of the season, not purchase NFL merchandise and, in some cases, are burning their hats and jerseys of their favorite teams.  Fans are outraged that these overpaid athletes and coaches are ruining a game they love by politicizing it.

          Many people who work for meager wages come home from work and watch football. They also spend part of their weekend watching just so they do not have to watch nauseating political talk on one of the 24/7 news channels.  These people love their country, their Lord, and are thankful for what they have because of the opportunities provided by this great country.  Allowing a place for politics in the NFL, in and of itself, is enough to infuriate great numbers, but when the particular political expression takes the form of not respecting the flag it touches a nerve with vast numbers of Americans.  Historically, even when people vigorously disagreed they would both stand side by side and salute the flag of America.  Now, that is changing in a very disturbing, high profile sort of way.

          Frankly, many have made a conscious choice to reduce or eliminate following national news because it is so depressing and upsetting.  Sports have been one of the favorite escapes, but now that world has not only been invaded, it has been stormed with no apology.  The NFL Commissioner has never really demonstrated a conscious in any of the controversial matters of recent years involving the league, and is not really showing one here.  He seems to be pulled in the direction of the most politically correct way of thinking. 

          One positive in all this is that many Americans are being forced to re-evaluate their priorities in life.  Many are already stating on social media that they can live without football and that compared to the freedom of living in America it is a small price to pay to turn off their televisions or watch something else. 

          There is nothing that is immune from the creep of political correctness.  It has been attacking institutions and individuals for years and will continue to do so.  Now you are seeing pressure in areas you thought were immune, but nothing is really immune. The fact that the church shooting in Tennessee got so little coverage and the NFL controversy got so much is quite telling.  Christians and conservative Americans will face more and more pressure to conform and if they do not do so there will be a severe price to be paid.  It is time to stick to what you believe and be ready and willing to back it up with facts and truth.  It is not a time for weak patriotism, weak Christians, or weak minds.  It is a time for strength, courage, and resolve.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

Remembering to Pray for and Support Our ‘Other’ Pastors - Sept. 12, 2017

          From the very beginning of my journey in pastoral ministry very sweet and sincere people have told me they were praying for me.  It did not take very long into that journey for me to realize that I needed a lot of prayers.  Pastoral ministry presents many unique challenges.  One pastor friend of mine is fond of comparing pastoring to herding cats!  It is a pretty fair analogy!  Pastors grieve over the lostness of the world and their communities often in agonizing prayer that no one sees.  Many sleepless nights are all-too-familiar to pastors as friends leave the church, as messages fail to be visibly impactful, and people in the church cannot seem to get along with one another.  The enemy of our souls throws everything, including the kitchen sink, at us trying to get us to stumble, and, better yet, fall and hurt as many people as possible on our way down.  Pastors face all the temptations and difficulties that any other human being faces, plus several others besides.  All of this is widely known and discussed.  There have been many books and articles written to encourage pastors who are experiencing discouragement.  Retreats, and even entire retreat centers, have been established for healing and restoration after pastoral burn-out and the accompanying mental and emotional exhaustion.  Even posts on social media remind Christians to pray regularly for their pastors, which is much needed, and much appreciated.

          In the early years of my ministry I believed that I had one of the hardest, maybe the hardest job/task in the world.  While it is consuming in every way, I have come to believe there are some things that are far more difficult due to the spirit of our age, the self-centeredness of our world (including vast numbers of church members), and Satan’s highly successful ability to hoodwink people and get them to place their focus on almost everything except God, His Word, His true expectations for us, and baring witness to the lost world in which we live.

          I have come to realize and appreciate the utterly brutal reality of being a youth minister in these dark and difficult days before the Lord’s return.  As hard as it is to be a pastor to people at times, youth ministers are faced with unimaginable challenges of which no one could have dreamed such a short time ago.  Every youth pastor comes face to face with kids struggling to find their own identities, often through a process of acting out and experimentation with anything and everything from drugs and alcohol, sex, to many other forms of reckless behavior.  We are long past the days where the biggest issues were abstaining from listening to rock music, not attending R-rated movies, and not dating anyone who was a potential candidate for marriage.  Now the issues are so much more serious and potentially disastrous – even deadly.

          Another big change is that if you looked at youth groups of past decades you would find the bulk comprised of active church member’s kids; even pastor’s and deacon’s kids.  But now you look at many youth groups and see kids from homes that parents rarely come at best and at worst are, in no way, connected with any church, much less the one their kids occasionally attend!  Youth ministers lack the core support they once had from parents, because there are often no parents to be found.  It is not uncommon for kids to report of total dysfunction in their home life involving all sorts of things that were nearly unheard of 1 or 2 generations ago.  Added to the youth minister having to carry the burden of these things he is often criticized by those who frequently remind him of the good old days when they (the criticizer) were in youth and just how it was and their simplistic solution is to just do things like they were done back then and highly committed, well-behaved, smiling youth would break down the doors to get in!  With my heart and soul I wish it were just that simple.  We grieve that it is not the way it once was and will never be again.

          In time past, new babies were brought to the nursery on their first Sunday and grew slowly through the church’s Sunday School program advancing all the way to adulthood.  Many of those became Sunday School teachers, deacons, pastors, and other leaders and other constants of the church.  But now, Sunday School is an empty basement or wing of the church and the youth minister is implicitly or explicitly expected to be a miracle worker who overcomes 12-18 years of neglect.  Some pastors have even resigned themselves to preaching on a level of a children’s Sunday School class simply because their congregants no longer have a foundation on which to build and there is little choice but work hard to lay such a foundation.

          Youth ministers desperately need our prayers, emotional support, physical support, and spiritual support as they are being tasked with the impossible while many hurl insults and throw rotten tomatoes from the balcony and sidelines.  Dedicated youth ministers have big hearts, great love for the Lord, and love for young people, and it is discouraging and hurtful to often not see the fruits of their labors  However, God sees their work and labors of love and will reward them for working to do what few others in this entire world are willing to do.  Please pray for our youth ministers!

          Music ministry was once a very popular vocational pursuit on Christian college campuses and in seminaries, but those days are past.  When churches are in need of music ministers they are scarce.  I have been told by more than one denominational leader that “Music ministers are as rare as hen’s teeth.”  Why has there been such a decline in the number of music ministers?  Professors, denominational leaders, pastors, and even former and current music ministers themselves will all tell you the predominant reason is that church music has become perhaps the biggest hot-button issue of the last 25 years.  James Dobson on his Focus on the Family Radio broadcast once did a few shows devoted to music and it generated the most aggressive responses of any topic he ever did, according to his own report.  Some wrote or called in totally adamant that hymns only should be sung, while others were equally adamant that newer music was essential to reaching a younger generation and also to keep our worship fresh and lively.

          Professors at our Christian colleges and seminaries report that aspiring music ministers are frequently discouraged from pursing vocational music ministry by their parents and even their pastors because of the enormity of controversy they are unknowingly seeking to enter.  No parent wants to see one they love face opposition, rejection, and the level of scorn that is known to be directed at those who do not meet their expectations and cater to their preferences. 

          The immaturity of the modern church is expressed in a number of ways such as biblical illiteracy, lack of prayer, lack of attendance, immoral practices, and selfishness.  This has showed up as church members have left churches because of their disdain for the music (both changes and lack of changes).  Further, many others have made the decision to attend a church, mainly or exclusively, on the basis of the music.  For every one instance of someone telling me they have concern about a doctrinal matter, there are easily 20 expressions of concern about music.  Rarely is there a question of doctrinal soundness, but almost always it is an issue of preference.  One thing all seem to agree on is that there will be no music controversies in Heaven.  The reason all tend to give for why they believe this to be the case is that it is because everyone will see the light and will then do it “their” way.  Everyone, I have ever talked to who held a strong opinion on music types believed God was on their side and strongly opposed those with whom they disagreed.

          Music ministers are a gift from God to help lead in worship.  As is true with all gifts, they need to be received with thankfulness and glory and praise to God.  Further, they need to be given our full support through prayer, encouragement, and love.  When we leave our homes, which God has provided with all their accompanying luxuries which God has provided, and take our cars which God has also provided to arrive at our church which God has also provided, and be led in worship by the music minister whom God has also provided, and our pastor whom God has also provided, it is absolutely not the time to focus on our selfish preferences about anything. Satan is the one who has given the provision of “selfishness.”  When we come to a worship service and focus on anything but the triune God and how our sin disappoints our Lord and Savior, we have formed and molded an idol of our own making which supplants our worship and gives Satan great satisfaction. Scripture teaches he comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  He will do that with our worship in a heartbeat, but only if we allow it to happen.   Please pray for our music ministers!

          These are dark, dark days in which we are living.  God’s people desperately, more than ever need to huddle as the body of Christ together to draw strength from God and one another to try and endure until the end which is coming quickly.  How foolish to snipe at one another over miniscule matters of total insignificance.  We must grow up in the Lord.  We must relinquish our idols, and give it all to Jesus.  Forget the notion that “my” way is best, and focus on the beauty of the Lord, the worthiness of the Lord, the greatness of your salvation, and the sacrifice that He made on the cross and be thankful for the gifts he has given in people. In particular, thank Him for those who sacrifice of themselves enormously to serve as youth ministers and as music ministers.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

Re-Issue of “The ‘Country Club’ Church”-Aug. 23, 2017

          A year and a half ago I wrote about a long standing concern of mine that many believers display a sense of entitlement when it comes to the church.  Many, it seems, cannot lay aside their personal preferences and desires and focus on Christ and follow the pattern He set forth in the New Testament.  Every week, all across the nation a great number of people enter worship services only to focus on themselves for the next hour. 

 

Allen Raynor Weblog: “The ‘Country Club’ Church

(Jan. 26, 2016)

 

          For many years I have often heard the non-flattering comparison made between some churches and “country clubs.”  I did not quite understand the link early on, but I have come to appreciate what people mean when they make the comparison.  We live in a consumer-driven world and an unmistakable consumer-driven way of thinking has poured into the church of the Lord Jesus like a flood.  This mind-set is now driving much of what the church does and how it does it.

          The majority of people have never been a member of an exclusive country club and probably only know vaguely as to how it operates and what it offers.  I browsed the websites of several country clubs and found overwhelming consistency on a few key things.  Annual memberships seemed to run in the 2 or 3 thousand dollar range with packages offering extra perks and benefits costing even more.  They offer quality and abundance of the things they believe people desire.  These include such things as golf, tennis, racquetball, aerobics, yoga, swimming, fitness classes and equipment, banquet halls, fine dining, etc.  A direct quote from one country club’s website extends the invitation to “Become a member and enjoy the benefits membership has to offer.”  Another website offers as their mission statement: “It’s our mission to provide a tradition rich, outstanding private country club known for the quality of its membership and for service that exceeds expectations.”  I do not know of any particular church that is so bold as to adopt, word for word, as its mission statement the one used by this particular country club, but it seems to be widely implied across the church landscape of our consumer driven nation.  In fact, if you removed the words “private country club,” and substituted the word “church,” many churches in America would be comfortable adopting this as their mission statement.  It would then read “It’s our mission to provide a tradition rich, outstanding church known for the quality of its membership and for service that exceeds expectations.” 

          Recently I read a post on facebook by a gentleman who had visited a church.  He mentioned he had been looking for a church change for a long time.  He referred to the church he had recently visited and was complimentary of the music, friendliness, and overall environment.  He made no reference to the preaching or beliefs of the church.  Not to imply any of it was necessarily bad, but it is interesting that the things which were mentioned by him would be the things that had the most appeal to the flesh.  It would be the things that might also draw someone to a country club with all its amenities.  Somewhere along the line many believers have drifted from internalizing Christ’s Words “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Mat. 16:24)

          One of the most frequent words I encountered in my browsing of the country club websites was the word “amenity.”  Webster’s defines it as “The quality of being pleasant or agreeable; something that conduces to comfort, convenience, or enjoyment.”  Most churches do things that lead to their further comfort and enjoyment.  One positive exception came early in my years of pastoral ministry.  In the late 1990s a tornado ravaged a nearby community and we were discussing, in a church business session, how much money we could/should send to help out.  We were a small church with limited resources.  Our church was in process of having our church pews re-upholstered at the time.  A man spoke up and suggested rather pointedly that we should send at least as much money to the tornado relief as we were spending on cushions for our seats.  The church could not argue with that challenge, so we sent an equal amount which was around 3 thousand dollars.  The two expenditures used up about 2/3 of the money we had in the bank, but we never missed it.  I have thought about that many times over the years as I have thought about the attitude churches should have as they fulfill their purpose and mission before the eyes of God.  Our attitude should be the exact opposite of the “country club” mindset.

          If it is about you, you may not be willing to settle for less than what you think you deserve when it comes to the overall church experience.  Many church goers are like rude patrons in a restaurant expecting top quality food and service for their money.  But if you are a Christian, you are still a Christian in that restaurant and even though you are not the waiter or waitress whose job it is to serve, it is your very purpose/mission to serve them.  It is an exponentially higher calling.  When we go to our church, or when we visit another church we need to be constantly looking for ways to help/serve rather than ways to be consumers of amenities.  We desperately need to follow the Lord’s example.   “The Son of Man did not come to be served; but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”  (Mat. 20:28)

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor

: Re-Issue of “The Disappearance of God”-Aug. 9, 2017

          In the spring of 2010 I read a book by Dr. Albert Mohler which gave strong warnings concerning trends in theological beliefs that were highly minimizing God and His Word.  He warned that it was serving to give sort of an “open door” licensing to sinful behavior and further, to masking the true identity of the God of the Bible.  When God is made out to be something other than what He has revealed Himself to be in and through the Scripture He has given to us then - BEWARE!

 

Allen Raynor Weblog: The Disappearance of God

(Mar. 1, 2010)

 

          In his book, The Disappearance of God: Dangerous Beliefs in the New Spiritual Openness, Dr. Albert Mohler, President of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary discusses the most dangerous trends within the realm of that which considers itself to be the evangelical church.  Many have observed that the most threatening attacks upon the church have come, and are coming, not from without but from within.  The world around us, in predictable fashion, is still yet failing to understand the church, and largely dismisses it.  But, from within the church’s own ranks serious damage is taking place.

          Mohler first discusses what he terms “theological triage,” a take-off from a system used in emergency rooms which refers to a practice of treating the most serious patients first.  It is not that each person there does not need treatment, but stopping massive bleeding is more important than setting a broken bone.  One is immediately life threatening.  In the evangelical church there is massive bleeding in some sectors.  And left untreated will lead to fatal results.

          There is now wide-spread attack on some of the most basic and fundamental doctrines in the history of Christianity.  Most notably perhaps among these is the disappearance of “sin” in the thinking and doctrine of an increasing number.  Sin is more and more coming to be seen as indefinite rather than definite.  Sin is no longer being seen by some as the violation of an absolute standard, but instead as violation of one’s own conscience.  Sin further could be hurting another person in some manner, instead of the more traditional view which says it violates an absolute standard, usually God’s law as revealed in scripture.  Sin is to be viewed from a much more “anthropocentric” (man-centered) point of view than a “theocentric” (God-centered) point of view.  It is much more then about our human relationships than any potential violation of God’s eternal law.  Mohler asks, “Whatever became of sin?  It has been redefined, ignored, rejected, neglected, and denied.”  He goes on to write, “Sin has been redefined as a lack of self-esteem rather than as an insult to the glory of God.  Salvation has been reconceived as liberation from oppression, internal or external.  The gospel becomes a means of release from bondage to bad habits rather than rescue from a sentence of eternity in hell.”

          Along with the disappearance of sin, there has predictably been a disappearance of eternal punishment.  Hell is viewed in a handful of differing ways, but less and less is it viewed by the traditional understanding which the church has held on to, for the past two millennium.  To some, hell is merely a state of mind – mental torment as one remembers various wrongs either genuine or perceived.  Hell, to others is much like it has been traditionally understood, minus it’s eternality.  People simply “burn up” and cease to exist; this is called “annihilationism.”  They say, how could anyone enjoy heaven knowing that others are burning and suffering in hell. 

          Hell naturally does not fit with the current culture.  Hell was never pleasing to anyone’s palate, but in generations past, it was an understood reality.  The congregations that men like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitfield preached to lived each day with a fear of hell in the back of their minds.  Not so anymore.  That which man does not like or does not want to have to wrestle with is all-too-easily just dismissed.

          Mohler devotes 3 chapters in this book to our current cultures’ preoccupation with physical beauty over and above other forms of beauty.  Much of culture’s value system is based upon its concept of its ideals for physically attractive features.  Rather than valuing what is fixed or changeless, this culture has become fixated upon certain aspects that are fluctuating and changing – chief among these is physical beauty.  One need not look far to see what sells magazines, garners TV ratings, box office ratings, or is the image made for billboards.  The intellect, personal character, and a host of other qualities take a distant back-seat to physical beauty.  Consequently our culture thinks much more with the “senses” than it does with the organ specifically designed to think with – the mind.

             The church is further not exempt from this worship and service of the “creature” rather than the “creator.”  The typical church service these days is much more about man than God.  And, consistent with the title of Mohler’s book, God is disappearing from many of our  churches.  The obsession with physical beauty is tied closely with the pleasuring of all five of our senses both outside and inside the church.  Our society, and our churches, are obsessed with the wrong things.

          Mohler addresses perversions of Christianity such as that found in the phenomenon know as the “Emerging Church” which takes the wholly pragmatic approach when it comes to it’s philosophy for gaining adherents.  It minimizes everything which it perceives as “stumbling blocks” to people coming and being a part.  It essentially focuses on that for which the majority can agree.  The Emerging Church is particularly dangerous because it devalues the Bible.  It openly tells people that we really cannot know what the Bible actually says.  Scripture might condemn homosexuality, for instance, or it may not – we just cannot be clear about it, and we certainly should not be “dogmatic.” The natural outcome is that it produces people who are always searching but are never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.  It is something akin to the X-Files approach – “The truth is out there.”  It is just never quite found!

          In four successive chapters, Mohler shows the digression away from biblical church discipline which has, in many ways, led to the other problems and movements we see today.  How could theologians like Clark Pinnock, for instance, who openly advocates “open theism” (a belief that God does not really possess fore-knowledge but is surprised as are we when something happens) be taken seriously and sell books and even have a real voice in the debate?

          How can we be effective evangelists and missionaries when we cannot even come to widespread agreement about the basics?  Mohler sees these issues which are cropping up with greater and greater frequency as distractions to the commissioned work of the church.  He ends the book by making a passionate call for the Bible to be exposited by faithful, God-called preachers.  The best way to fight against lies is with truth.  The drift in beliefs are best combated with the truth.  As the church of Jesus Christ becomes less and less biblically literate, for many reasons, the drift away from authentic biblical doctrine continues.  As this doctrine drifts away, that which we know about God drifts away along with it.  The best thing we can do is get to know the Scriptures and allow them to teach us, equip us, and guide us.

 

In Christ,

 

Dr. Allen Raynor, Pastor