"Now I want you all to bow your heads, close your eyes, nobody looking around. While Dorothy comes and plays the first, second, and fourth verses of 'Just As I Am,' I invite you to come kneel at a sinner's altar and get right with God. Just slip quietly out of your seat and come on down front and one of the deacons will pray with you. If you stay where you are, you'll never get right with Christ. Or maybe you need to say that prayer and ask Jesus into your heart. Maybe you're looking for a church family and God is calling you to join us. Won't you come as we sing?"
That is scary because it is so real. W could probably walk into most churches here in Savannah and hear something like that. Sad it is. And, how wonderful it is to be free of it!
We really must do something about the financial situation. The elders have given me a raise in salary, but our present giving rate would fall far short. We need to honor God with our generosity!
I thought of growing up Catholic and the time one visiting priest actually said, "You can come to church every Sunday, attend every day of obligation and participate in the sacraments, but if you don't have your own relationship with Jesus, you won't go to Heaven." You could hear the gasp. That's the fist time I remember hearing the gospel. I only saw him once; I think of him often.
13 comments:
I once wrote a sermon THIS BIG!
"Now I want you all to bow your heads, close your eyes, nobody looking around. While Dorothy comes and plays the first, second, and fourth verses of 'Just As I Am,' I invite you to come kneel at a sinner's altar and get right with God. Just slip quietly out of your seat and come on down front and one of the deacons will pray with you. If you stay where you are, you'll never get right with Christ. Or maybe you need to say that prayer and ask Jesus into your heart. Maybe you're looking for a church family and God is calling you to join us. Won't you come as we sing?"
Swanny,
Well said. And probably true.
Norm,
That is scary because it is so real. W could probably walk into most churches here in Savannah and hear something like that. Sad it is. And, how wonderful it is to be free of it!
Eric,
We really must do something about the financial situation. The elders have given me a raise in salary, but our present giving rate would fall far short. We need to honor God with our generosity!
John,
It sounds like the dreaded stewardship sermon series.
My thought is that the preacher might be telling the people that mutual edification is most effectively brought about through dialogue.
Sorry... I know this is not very spiritual or radical, but this is what I thought when I first saw this pic:
"If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands..."
-Alan
Alan,
You're right. Maybe he's actually the "worship leader."
"During the 9 o'clock service I was a purple dinosaur."
I thought of growing up Catholic and the time one visiting priest actually said, "You can come to church every Sunday, attend every day of obligation and participate in the sacraments, but if you don't have your own relationship with Jesus, you won't go to Heaven." You could hear the gasp. That's the fist time I remember hearing the gospel. I only saw him once; I think of him often.
Steve,
I like that.
Jeff,
I guess that goes to show that God can use imperfect systems and traditions to bring about his plans. Thanks be to God for his immeasurable grace!
Post a Comment