Sunday, June 29, 2008

The Family Of God: Multi-colored Tapestry or White Linen Sheet?

(This post sat in my draft folder and I debated on it for the past 3 days- but ultimately decided if I don't share my heart on this blog it is not worth your time or mine.)

Churches are interesting places. Regardless of where you pull up a pew, or chair, or bench, or floor, your church is made up of some weird, unique and lovable creations of God. As a staff member, God has placed me in a position to have an audience with all parts of the body. I have friends who are young and friends who are older. I have friends with a number of degrees on the wall and I have friends who work in places where degrees are measured on the thermostat on the wall. I used to think that I had wasted a big part of my life running from God's plan for me. I am now beginning to see and understand that God uses those times in our lives to prepare us for the work ahead. Allow me to explain.

I grew up working in that place where degrees where measured in Fahrenheit rather than letters after your name. It would take the weekend to clean the grease out from under my fingernails and the cracks in my hands-- only to get them dirty again come Monday. At my daddy's service station, sometimes the language was as "flowery" as the seat covers on some of the cars we serviced. But now, being able to talk about four-barrel carburetors and dual exhaust comes in as handy as being able to discuss soteriology, ecclesiology or pre-millennialism- it helps to build bridges between people rather than walls. That experience prepared me to minister to people in unique ways, as well as, to minister to unique people.

Then there is music. I grew up in a family of singers. Both of my parents were raised singing in churches and in the community. The old songs and hymns were regularly echoing through our halls and when we would all get together-- forget about it-- it was a songfest. I have sung in a southern gospel quartet for over 16 years. I love and have a deep appreciation for the old songs. BUT there are other sides of me too. My wife is a classically trained operatic soprano. I went to more opera and classical music recitals than I can count. At the same time, I am very much at home at the Carter Family Fold. I can still get my hip hop groove on with my students and, of course, I get paid to play contemporary Christian music on the radio. Whether it is Bach, Beatles, Bocephus, Bluegrass, Boston, Beyonce' or Bebo-- I like it or I can at least find value in it and appreciate it.

I recognize that not all people have had these experiences. I don't share this in order to put myself on some pedestal. I share all of this to help you understand that these experiences leave me in a very peculiar place. I try my best to build bridges between the factions of folks in my sphere of influence who can't stand the other's choices in music or worship styles or who may look down on others based on socio-economic differences. I know that this doesn't happen in your church, but it comes up from time to time in the places where I have worshipped. It is for this reason I say that the family of God more closely resembles a multi-colored tapestry rather than a white linen sheet. How boring would it be if we never shook things up a bit? There are some basic things that cannot be compromised with regard to music and worship practices. However, within that framework, there is a lot of room for variety.

Paul reminded the Corinthians (and us) that the body is made up of many parts. The parts have different functions, but the parts make up one body and that body is to be united.

I have watched as people who claim to be Christ-followers treat others with utter disdain based on some of the most flimsy of reasons. Then we wonder why the unchurched, not-yet-Christ-follower scoffs at the notion of darkening our door. We must find ways of embracing and appreciating those things that bind us together as a family of faith and let go of the criticism and the carrying on about the things that divide us- OR - we can resign ourselves to the fact that we prefer to live in open disobedience and rebellion against God. The choice is pretty simple.

2 comments:

  1. Just wanted to say hey! Congrats on the 30 pounds lost!! Also, love your last post and must agree completely!!
    Tell Paige, I still have some clothes for Ellie- I might get them to her some day;)

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  2. I'm glad you decided to share this post. I agree that we are all different and God made us that way. I am proud to be part of God's tapestry and I welcome anyone who would like to be a part of His tapestry as well.

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