When I was young, there was a comedian who would say something like, “The Devil made me do it!” I was too young to remember much more about the sketches he did or if I thought that was funny. As Christians, we should know that “…each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (James 1.14 ESV).
But I am seeing a trend in our day that concerns me very much.
America Has Chosen a President
As is often the case, others express my thoughts on a subject with greater clarity and softer tone that I ever could myself. I could not agree more with what Al Mohler has written in this post from the first word to the last. I have nothing more to add.
I have heard Proverbs 11.14 quoted many times, “…in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Usually this is quoted as proof that we should seek counsel from other people before we make a serious decision about our life. Two recent incidents have caused me to see how people try to obey this verse but still get their own way.
This link gives a very brief history of the inerrancy debate and provides some history and other resources concerning the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.
Resources on Ecclesiastical Separation « Orchard Keeper
This is a great compilation of articles on ecclesiastical separation (something I addressed in a brief manner in this post).
SharperIron » Weary of the Worship Wars
Excellent article on music by Steve Davis. While my training was not at the same school, I was taught much the same as he was concerning music. I too have come to similar convictions.
I would state that the Sr. Pastor is the one that will answer for what music is played in the church. I would disagree with having different music for the youth simply because you may inadvertently cause discord for a family that has strict musical standards.
I do not preach my personal convictions from the pulpit. I teach musical principles from the scriptures and I tell my people that they will have to answer for what music they listen to in their personal lives. I will not judge them for their choices. They must determine, through the scriptures and the guidance of the Spirit, what music they can listen to and glorify God. I only ask that they do not try to force their convictions on others or judge the spirituality of others based on what they listen to. I must answer for what plays in the church. So at our church, I try to have very ‘conservative’ music in our services in an attempt not to offend the sensitivities of some of our members. I do this out of love for them. They cannot close their ears to music that they believe is sinful.
Dan Burrell has a great list of favorite fundy traditions. I did not grow up in a fundamental church, but I have still experienced many of these… and my kids have experienced even more of them.
Enjoy!
The guys over at Expository Thoughts asked the question, “When do you contact a local area pastor?” (when one of his members begins attending your church). I have actually had this situation occur, and I handle it differently depending on the situation. If the church they are coming from is a church of “like faith” then I contact the pastor as soon as I find out they are members elsewhere (our visitor cards have a place for people to tell us where they are currently members, although people don’t always fill it out). I like to give the Pastor a chance to visit his member and see if the situation can be rectified before we begin to get them too attached to our church. I do not want to grow our church via transfers.
Let me explain what I mean by “like faith”: Our church is an independent Baptist Church that adheres to the fundamentals of the faith. I consider other churches of “like faith” to be those that are also ‘fundamental’ (I know that fundamental has bad connotations, but no other term to describe what I am has made it to the forefront. Just understand that I believe separation should be over doctrine, not preferences.) I try to make sure that I have a good relationship with all other ‘fundamental’ churches in the area, whether they be Baptists, Bible Churches, Community Churches, certain Presbyterians, etc. I maintain that relationship by showing them that I am not trying to ‘steal’ their members.
Now, if the person is visiting our church from a denomination or church that I believe has serious doctrinal issues, or that is unwilling to separate over the key doctrines of the Faith, then I make no contact with the Pastor. The only contact that will come is the standard ‘membership transfer letter’ that we send if the person at some point desires to join our church through transfer. I do this to make sure there are no church discipline issues that I am unaware of.
The only exception that I can think of is if I had a personal relationship with a conservative evangelical pastor in the area. If I felt that a person coming to my church from his would damage our relationship, then I would contact him just as I would a pastor of “like faith”. This situation is not currently a problem for me.
I would like to know if a member of my church is visiting another church as soon as possible. So I try to “do unto others” in this area.
Music is an art. Art effects our emotions. Therefore music is an emotional topic. I can think of very few topics that stir up people’s emotions more quickly and more heatedly than music. I am frequently asked, “What’s wrong with this song?” or “What do you think about this style of music?” or “Have you listened to [insert group name here]?” It is always a touchy conversation. With that said, let’s get started!
