Hide and Go Seek Blog

Today in church, we have certain values. These values are certainly different than the ones former ages of Christians once had. At a glance, the values of the first Christians were fellowship, sound doctrine and last but not least, staying alive after holding to the first two. After the days of Constantine and the rise of the church to a state of power, both theologically and politically, things changed. After the fourth century, church moves from being a backroom sect of Judaism, unto the mainstream. For the first time, church is cool. Christianity is cool. Constantine made it cool. Literally, church was the only option.
For the first time, people flood the sanctuary. People from all walks of life. People from different belief systems, different backgrounds, different religions. It may be true that the first church potluck as of belief systems, and not cabbage rolls. All of a sudden there were things we couldn’t really say anymore. Things needed to be explained in more depth, and values changed. We started to value big. We started to value flash. We started to value the depth of the size of the crowd, instead of the depth of the heart of the crowd.
Sound familiar? Today, we have much of the same value systems. Christianity has become a seeker sensitive place where things that are big and flashy and large in populous win out over things that are good and true and sound. There is a pop-Christianity that looks good, it comes as a label for everything good that Christ came to do for us, yet like any label, it only lies skin deep, possible masking the shottie workmanship and substance of the material itself. Like any t-shirt I could buy at the corner boardshop, with the hottest brand plastered all over it. I willingly pay an obscene amount simply for the label. I am not paying for the t-shirt itself, but to take on the image of the value systems and beliefs of that brand onto myself. I make it look like I am a fun-loving wild party animal, talented and the life of the party. Though it’s absolutely not true. I can pay money to make people think that.
With Christianity, the same thing applies. I can take on the image of the values and beliefs, I can make everyone look at me a certain way, even though it’s absolutely not true. Somewhere along the line, we turned our attention from God, to other people. We started to put stock in the opinions of others, and lost our focus on the Word of God, the life of Jesus and the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Throughout history, from Genesis right through to Revelation, there has been and always be a righteous line that continues in righteousness and carries on as the bride of Christ. They strive for the things of God. They don’t ride the line. They forget about being edgy. They run away from the edge and strive for righteousness. They know that righteousness is about knowing that the only thing that matters is staying the course and finishing the race. They know that the only safe place is under the wings of God, as far from the edge as possible.
This place, this blog, has never been a place for empty words, but words of hope, truth and promise. I never want to use my position to brown nose. The following words are words of truth, hope and promise.
This blog entry is dedicated to Rev. Dale Reesor, a dear friend of mine. Today I learned a lesson in what really matters. My aspirations to attain high positions of Christian leadership do not matter. Any desire to become famous fell in meaninglessness. Any hope of become big, flashy or attractive to the numbers were shown for what they really were, a hope of becoming worth something.
I learned today that I am worth something. I learned that what really matters are changing people, and being changed by people. I learned that all that really matters is finishing this race for the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you Dale. Go, and finish the race.
Love,
Chad