More about churches and buildings

When I see churches that seem overly concerned with ornate buildings and memberships as big as small towns (such as my hometown of Beeville, Texas, which has about 13,000 residents), I am reminded of a stanza from Harriet E. Buell’s Gospel song “A Child of the King”: “A tent or a cottage, why should I care? They’re building a palace for me over there.”

Work and the COVID scare have kept me out of church for a while, but when it comes time to join a church again, I know what to look for. The type of building isn’t a huge concern. What are concerns are, how are they at teaching the Bible and preaching the Gospel?

Preaching the Gospel isn’t just about telling a crowd of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and giving an invitation. That just scratches the surface of, say, an iceberg with 75 percent of its mass lurking underwater. Preaching the Gospel is also about showing Jesus’ love to the public: in ministries serving homeless, alcoholics, drug addicts, unemployed, orphans, elderly, widowed.

One church in Corpus Christi had a program called Operation Paint Brush, where they’d paint or refurbish the home of a needy person. To me, this helps out more than just giving them a pamphlet and encouraging them to go to church.

And, yes, instead of simply thundering away at the pulpit that God hates extramarital or premarital sex and hates abortion, I’d like to see a church get involved in helping out single or unwed mothers. No, that doesn’t mean picket abortion clinics. It means go out and show the mothers you care about them and their unborn and then-born child.

This is the type of approach we need if we want to turn the world upside down.

Post comments here or email them to richardstwoshekels@gmail.com

The church, almost 2,000 years later

If 4 B.C. is indeed the actual year Jesus was born, then we could say that 2,000 years ago, He was about five years from beginning His earthly ministry. He’d gather 12 disciples, preach, minister, heal, get frustrated with how slow His disciples were at grasping His teachings, make enemies and die for our sins, rise from the dead. After 40 days with the disciples, He then ascended up into heaven.

The church has had almost 2,000 years to develop, learn, progress, cultivate. Are we even close to the True Christianity that mirrors Jesus’ teachings?

Due to my crazy work schedule and this current COVID crisis, I haven’t been in church in a while. When it comes time to return to church, where will I go?

When many think of church, they think of a place where they attend Sunday morning, evening, Wednesday nights, revivals, whenever the doors are open. That’s fine, as long as the Bible is being taught.

Church isn’t just about attending, singing, listening to the message. It’s also about serving there as needed and being involved in the church’s community outreach programs. Church is also about regularly preaching the Gospel through your actions, rather than just your words. That’s what James referred to in his New Testament book. 

One friend tells me he went from a church that spent hundreds of thousands of dollars renovating its building to a church that meets in a modest, converted (no pun intended) warehouse and instead prefers to use most of those financial resources in the community. I prefer that approach. Jesus doesn’t judge churches on how ornate their buildings are or how immaculate their lawns are, but how they do in the community and where their hearts are in relation to Him.

As for me, I have a long way to go. I love everybody, but there are definitely some whom I can’t stand. Some have been fellow Christians. But that’s ok: the line of people who can’t stand me would make the line of moviegoers waiting to see Titanic* in 1997 seem stubby by comparison.

* As of March 7, 2021, Titanic has grossed more than $2.1 billion as a movie.

Post comments here or email richardstwoshekels@gmail.com

A Christian works in retail

Currently working two jobs in retail. In Army lingo, I’m hoping it’s TDY. What have I learned so far? This October will mark my 40th anniversary of becoming a Christian, and I still have lots to learn when it comes to patience. Previous retail work has included a certain large department store and as a gas clerk for a certain large grocery store. My conclusion: working retail is the protestant equivalent of purgatory. You really have to have a servant’s heart.

I hope someday to be able to love everybody unequivocally. The late MLB manager Alvin Dark once said: “As a Christian, I’ve learned to love everybody, but the last ones I learned to love were the sportswriters.”

Post comments here or at richardstwoshekels@gmail.com