Sunday, February 12, 2006
Did You Accessorize Today?
Rob Wilkerson had a great post Friday.
As Rob says, we often accessorize the gospel, but we also often use the gospel as accessory. In his post Rob talks about all the geegaws and garbage that assaults one at a Christian "bookstore." These are indeed accessories to the gospel. But they are also things accessorized by the gospel so that the makers, distributers, and sellers can justify their professions as "ministry." These people use the gospel as an accessory to their life.
The gospel is; however, no mere accessory. That's like calling the atomic bomb "just another bullet." The gospel is the Word made flesh, dwelling among us, redeeming us and transforming us. The gospel as accessory is a little bit like walking around with a man-eating lion on a leash. You think you have a pet - but that pet has a whole different set of ideas.
We seems to always want to keep the gospel in a tiny little box, where we can control it. But it is not designed to be controlled, it is designed to control us. This is why we accessorize the gospel, so that we never confront it directly - we afraid of that loss of control.
Oh, but the beauty when we do "let go." The perfect peace that comes with finding how we were created to be.
I hope that you did not accessorize your church experience today. I hope you let go.
Related Tags: gospel, accessories, Jesus, church, Christianity, sanctification
I think our churches are also being swallowed up and accessorized to death. Think about what our local churches are committed to these days. We accessorize the gospel with programs "out the wazoo." Children's programs, youth programs, men's ministries, women's ministries, sport's programs, music ministries, and on and on it goes. A look at the average local church bulletin often appears like a menu at a buffet.I am struck by the fact that there is a real difference between simply naming somthing as Christian and actually sancitfying it. Every aspect of our lives is suppposed to be infused by the Spirit of Christ, and yet so often all we do is name some aspect as 'Christian' and then continue on as before.
[...]
When the gospel is devalued we ought not be surprised when it is accessorized. That's really the only option we have to offer when we remove the centerpiece from the table of our local church, or when we ignore it's importance or worse yet, it's presence beyond an occasional glance. The worship of Jesus Christ and His work for us on the cross and out of the empty tomb should be treasured and presented as beautiful and desirable enough to cause believers to want to come to church.
However, since this does not happen, the gospel must be accessorized with ministries and programs that are initiated to supposedly enhance it, support it, and lead others to it. Yet the reality is that it is impossible for this to happen. Unless programs and ministries flow out of the real valuing, treasuring, believing, and preaching of the gospel, they will not point others back to it. Rather, such programs and ministries will draw others away from the gospel, while saying that they are related to the gospel, when actually they are displacing the gospel. Tell me this is not what has happened in many of our local churches today. The accessories are getting far more attention than the gospel itself.
[...]
Examine the attention you give to the gospel of Jesus Christ, to His person, work, Kingship, intercessory prayer work...all on your behalf. Take a careful look to consider whether or not you spend more time accessorizing than fellowshiping around and worshiping through the message of the gospel. For me it is a trap that is all to easy to fall into day after day. But let's break it together, spending more time in the Scriptures, searching for Christ, for redemption, for the gospel, communing in the Spirit with King Jesus. Let's spend more time talking about these things together.
As Rob says, we often accessorize the gospel, but we also often use the gospel as accessory. In his post Rob talks about all the geegaws and garbage that assaults one at a Christian "bookstore." These are indeed accessories to the gospel. But they are also things accessorized by the gospel so that the makers, distributers, and sellers can justify their professions as "ministry." These people use the gospel as an accessory to their life.
The gospel is; however, no mere accessory. That's like calling the atomic bomb "just another bullet." The gospel is the Word made flesh, dwelling among us, redeeming us and transforming us. The gospel as accessory is a little bit like walking around with a man-eating lion on a leash. You think you have a pet - but that pet has a whole different set of ideas.
We seems to always want to keep the gospel in a tiny little box, where we can control it. But it is not designed to be controlled, it is designed to control us. This is why we accessorize the gospel, so that we never confront it directly - we afraid of that loss of control.
Oh, but the beauty when we do "let go." The perfect peace that comes with finding how we were created to be.
I hope that you did not accessorize your church experience today. I hope you let go.
Related Tags: gospel, accessories, Jesus, church, Christianity, sanctification
