In a message dated 3/2/2008 3:18:12 AM Pacific Standard Time, briandodd@bellsouth.net writes:
In the header Brian wrote this Sunday morning, “Some people want to live within the sound of chapel bells, but I want to run a mission a yard from the gate of hell.”
–C.T. Studd, a missionary to China.
Cool. I mean that’s a hot idea. The members of that Church would really understand the meaning of “Ye be hot or cold, or I’ll spew you out of my mouth.”
In many ways, the Internet can be that broadway leading to destruction. Maybe we ought to seriously look at it as outside ”the gate of hell.” I guess it’s all a matter of perspective.
As I looked through the yellow pages this morning placing myself in the shoes of a seeker looking for a Church to attend, I became confused with all the alternatives. I mean if I look under the heading of cleaners, there they are listed alphabetically A-Z. But the Churches, African, Armenian, Armenian Apostolic, Assembies of God, Ba’hai, Baptist, American Bapist, Conservative Baptist, General Baptists, Independent Baptists, Missionary Baptists, Southern Baptists, Brethren-hey that sounds warm and inviting, Buddhist churches-Tibetan Buddhist Dharma Monastery next to Arcadia Bible Church, Byzantine Catholics, Roman Catholics, Traditional Catholics, Charismatics, Christian, Disciples of Christ, Church of God Anderson, Indiana?, Churches of God of Prophecy?, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, Eastern Orthodox, Eucumenical?, Korean, Jehovah’s witnesses? Episcopal, Full Gospel, Nazarene, Old Roman Catholic, Open Bible, Pentecostal, American Orthodox, Scientology, Unitarian universalist. Now I’ve come to Cigars, Cigarettes, Cigarellos?
But I want to go to a church to learn the Bible, so I reperused the pages and found inside the typical blue colored the rectangular oval denoting a subheading Churches Bible–only one listing, hmm. Okay, let’s see–Self-Realization Fellowship. Okay, let’s go down there and take a look. Nice building (remember, I’m not a Christian in this scenario, only a seeker). People dressed in attractive white pressed open shirts, smiling, no tie, casual. Okay. I walk in and nothing seems particularly out of place..a conversation ensues and I figure it out, somewhat, “oh you follow Yogananda, the guy in white and a beard in the picture, kinda looks like he’s the Beatles guru from India. I see.’
They say, ‘He blends the Bible, Gita, and other teachings.’
I ask, ” So we get to study the Bible?”
They respond,” Oh, yeh, sure.”
Thanks for the guidance yellow pages.
Most seekers will probably close the yellow pages, confused and wait until the next knock on their door from a member of one of those churches. The only question remaining is, “Will it be yours?”
‘There is a way which seems right to a man, but it’s way leads to death.’
“Love thy neighbor as thyself.”
JCS
