A few days ago, my Pastor read a blog written by a Minister of a church in California http://www.saddlebackfamily.com/home/today.asp. No it isn't one of those type churches we read about that somehow either come from California or Idaho or Oregon where people believe that when the next comet flies by we all need to drink poison Kool-Aid so that we may ascend to it and hitch a ride to our next life. No, this is what could only be described as a normal church that you would find just about anywhere especially here in Charleston.
In this blog the Minister of the church, Rick Warren challenged his congregation and every Christian to make a commitment to God. I could copy it and put it in my blog but since I put the link to the website above you can go there and read it or better yet visit my pastors blog and read it there http://www.coastalcommunitychurch.org/Blog/.
Now let's get to the point of this posting in this contract and I say contract cause you are promising to do something and you are signing and dating it. This contract asks you to make a Radical Commitment. Since I gave you 2 websites to visit so that you may read it I won't go into a great deal of detail, but here is my question since I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior and that I have be baptised, haven't already made that commitment. Haven't I gave my word to the most powerful being in the Universe? What signed paper can take the place of that. If you are the type of person that needs to have a signed paper shown to you each time a decision has to be made then I don't think you are the type of person that fully gave your life over to the Lord in the 1st place.
I suppose that this contract could be like a Marriage License except that you don't sign and give the Marriage License to your spouse you give it the State so that they can file it away. I know it could the "outward symbol" of the inner agreement that you have already made to the Lord, but I don't think I need that to show my commitment and I don't need to show it to a single person on this planet if I live my life to the Glory God, that will be my proof. If I haven't lived my life as I should then what good would the paper be. The only judgement that I should be concerned with will come when I stand at the Thrown of God and he opens that "Book of Life"
Sorry Pastor Chris this contract does not jack me up, it even may concern me. knowwhere in it does it ask for the help or guidence from God, It says in it "I won't be captivated by culture, manipulated by critics, motivated by praise, frustrated by problems, debilitated by temptation, or intimidated by the devil" sounds great that is one heck of a promise when as I know so very well as a humble sinner that isn't something that I can do. Even with the help of the Holy Spirit, temptation will come across my path and I will slip. I will once again get down on my knees and ask for forgiveness. If I in one of my moments of weakness fall short of the promise this Pastor wants me to sign does it null and void the contract? Read the end it doesn't even want you to Swear to God, it only asks you to Affirm, talk about waffling? I sure hope I didn't "step in it" as the saying goes but that is how I read it. Maybe am reading too much into it, maybe it isn't speaking to me. I don't know maybe it isn't even for Christians, maybe it for those that have not come to know Christ, someone that has been sitting on the sidelines. I don't know maybe it is one those way to connect with the people that has been away from God. But according to the challenge it is for his church and Christians everywhere.
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2 comments:
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I totally agree with you and had the same odd feeling the other day when our church did a similar thing.
I like Rick Warren but, honestly, I do have my issues with many of his ideas.
Signing a paper to say you will do something or be better or whatever is somewhat of a covenant, a promise, or a swearing that you WILL do it, an oath. The Bible is clear on this one -
Matthew 5:33-37 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.’ But I tell you, ‘Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem , for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
That just leads to the breaking of the 8th commandment, too.
Just something I have been thinking of, too, so I thought I would comment!
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