Church Voices

Recently, here in Owosso, a small church with a highly visible sign posted several verses condemning homosexual activity during the Xmas season. This caused quite a stir of controversy with various articles being written and letters to the editor being furiously pounded out. The battle lines were drawn along the usual lines, each side hurling their various invectives and preparing their defenses. The problem being that as I looked around both sides appeared to be wrong.

Here’s the thing, I believe the scriptures condemn homosexual activity. But I also believe that using the scriptures to put a thumb to the eye of people in your community is also condemned by the scriptures.

1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians5:1-2

God became flesh, had that flesh ripped from his body, and took both the punishment the wrath of God demanded for us. And in this verse we’re commanded to live a life comparable to that. Sorry, but I don’t think posting verses about the sin of others during a time usually set aside to celebrate the beginning of Jesus’ life and the reconciliation of humanity to God has much to do with each other.

There’s a lot going through my mind right now, and there’s a lot going on under the surface of all this. I’m afraid I’m not doing a very good job of communicating it. But, let me just say that right now I’m feeling profoundly disillusioned with the church in the United States. I have friends that used to tell me how the church was filled with unloving, cold people who couldn’t forgive the smallest of sins. I used to think because of my personal experiences with my churches that this was the exception

But now, due to this recent dust up in our small town, and some recent personal experiences with Christians I think that perhaps God has simply blessed me with churches that know how to look like Jesus (on a sidenote, thank you Northern Hills Christian Church, Xenos Fellowship, Owosso Church of Christ, and individually Steve and Judy Walker, and Denny and Joann Risley for showing me what Jesus looks like).

If this is true, with cold hearts and unmerciful Christians being the majority expect to see the Church in the US whither up and blow away.