There are many different types of churches out there. I’m not talking denominations here, such as Baptist, Methodist, AME, or COGIC. I mean different church flavors. You have your Cotton Candy Church, where everything is always sweet and sugarcoated. Then there’s your Popcorn Church, where everyone settles in each week for the big show. But my favorite happens to be the one that’s losing popularity these days—Broccoli Church. You know, the one where you might not always like the way it’s prepared, but it’s always good for you.
What’s wrong with Cotton Candy Church? Doesn’t Psalm 119:103 say, “How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth”? True, the Word of God is sweet to us—but it is so much more than that. A look at 2 Timothy 3:16 shows us that other characteristics of the Word are “teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.” And there are many more.
The truth is that the Word in and of itself is a full spiritual meal. Not just dessert. If you leave Cotton Candy Church every single Sunday with a “feel-good” spirit and never once with conviction or re-evaluation of your spiritual walk, you may not be getting your nutrients.
What about Popcorn Church? Why can’t we just sit back and enjoy the Sunday Show? We start with the musicians and a hot praise and worship set to get our soul all stirred up with praise dancers performing as spiritual cheerleaders, then on to the excitement of the service with more falling out than an old Michael Jackson concert—and that’s before the preacher even preaches. When the spiritual head of the House does arrive to take the podium, we’re hanging on to every word he utters, every phrase he turns, because his performance is just captivating. After service, you can hear folks leaving with words of, “Girl, that was some sermon” and “Oh, my spirit is so filled!” But come Monday morning, who knows what the sermon was about…oh, and who cares? We’ll be back on Sunday for the next show—and maybe even Wednesday night for the matinee!
There are plenty of defenses for Popcorn Church. There are those who will tell you that people don’t want to go to church and be bored to death. Or they argue that thanks to technology, we can take the church experience “to a new level.” Some may even say that because of the animated and likeable personalities of these preachers, more people are at least coming to church. But God is not looking for a church with quantity—He wants quality Christians.
And that brings me to Broccoli Church. I love Broccoli Church because it’s so beneficial to spiritual growth. It is full of healthy nutrients and always fresh. So it may be served up with praise and worship music that ministers to your soul—not just gets your heart racing. On the side you may get a presentation from the dance or drama ministry—not to distract you from the service, but to support it. And when the pastor comes to deliver the Word—it’s always so good, your spirit just eats it up. And even when the message is a little bitter in that it corrects or rebukes your spirit, it always goes down the right way.
I thank God for Broccoli Church, a place where I can grow spiritually healthy and strong!
What are other church flavors you’ve experienced? Are you also hungry for Broccoli Church? Leave a message!
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Oh, Give Thanks
Roasted turkey with stuffing. Mashed potatoes with gravy. Roasted corn. Sweet potato pies. As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I begin to salivate! But like any holiday, we can easily lose sight of the real meaning. When we think of those who will go without the holiday roast and the prepared meal, it starts to bring us back to the real reason for giving thanks.
As Christians, our Thanksgiving holiday isn’t about stuffing ourselves more than the bird on the table. We believe in truly giving thanks to the Lord for His provision over the year. Psalm 118 tells us to “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.” And this appears in the chapter not once, but twice (verses 1 and 29).
We understand that we must give thanks—regardless of what our current situation looks like. Due to the current economy, there are families whose tables will not be full this Thanksgiving. And even those who will eat on the actual holiday—thanks to food banks, soup kitchens, and the help of people who care—those families may still be faced with the challenge of putting food on the table the rest of the winter. In Psalm 118:5-14, the psalmist speaks of some of the troubles and hardships the Lord has brought him through. It reminds us that it may be frightening and upsetting when we don’t know what tomorrow holds, but through it all, we must continue to be faithful to our thanksgiving to the Lord.
Let’s remember that Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday—it’s a way of life. Through the good times and the bad, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His love endures forever!
As Christians, our Thanksgiving holiday isn’t about stuffing ourselves more than the bird on the table. We believe in truly giving thanks to the Lord for His provision over the year. Psalm 118 tells us to “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.” And this appears in the chapter not once, but twice (verses 1 and 29).
We understand that we must give thanks—regardless of what our current situation looks like. Due to the current economy, there are families whose tables will not be full this Thanksgiving. And even those who will eat on the actual holiday—thanks to food banks, soup kitchens, and the help of people who care—those families may still be faced with the challenge of putting food on the table the rest of the winter. In Psalm 118:5-14, the psalmist speaks of some of the troubles and hardships the Lord has brought him through. It reminds us that it may be frightening and upsetting when we don’t know what tomorrow holds, but through it all, we must continue to be faithful to our thanksgiving to the Lord.
Let’s remember that Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday—it’s a way of life. Through the good times and the bad, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good and His love endures forever!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
“In a Relationship”
A friend of mine recently changed her Facebook status from “Single” to “In a Relationship.” I started to think about how as Christians, our daily status is “In a Relationship…With Jesus.” And I thought about how important it is for us to realize how precious our spiritual relationship with Him really is.
The one we love is sometimes called our “significant other.” The term implies that no matter how many others we have coming and going in our lives, there is “one” who has a significant impact on us. This is the one we care about most and the one we think about most often. A famous pickup line goes, “Wow, you must be tired, because you’ve been running around my mind all day.” While I’m not sure this line has led to any life-long relationships, the sentiment is correct. In our relationship with Jesus, He is on our mind all day—we’re thinking about Him and how to please Him, and thinking about what He’s thinking of us. He is the most significant “One” in our lives.
Being in a relationship also means taking time out to ensure the one you love knows you’re in love. This includes carving out time to spend with your loved one. When I wake up in the morning, I realize how important and special it is to start my day in conversation with Jesus. In fact, sometimes my prayers begin with, “Good morning, Lord.” It’s my way of letting Him know that I’m not coming before Him out of habit or compulsion, but a true desire to start my day with Him. And I dedicate one day a week, Sunday, to visit His house, talk with others about Him, and enjoy being surrounded by His presence. Giving my time is an important part of showing Him my love.
A relationship should not be taken for granted—it requires a lot of work. We often call it “give and take.” In our relationship with Jesus, we may sometimes feel like we take too much. After all, He gave His very life in order to have an eternal relationship with us. What can we possibly give Him in return? Well, the love we show others is our way of giving back to Him. And when we honor and praise Him with our thoughts and actions, He blesses us in return.
What I love most about being in a relationship with Jesus is that it never ends. In the physical world, He surrounds us with His love, and we know that when we pass on to a spiritual place, we will rest with Him in glory. It’s a relationship that goes on and on. With none other can your status be “In a Relationship” forever!
Throughout the book of Psalms, David declares his relationship status with the Lord. As I read his songs of praise, such as Psalm 145, I thank God that I am, and will forever be, “In a Relationship…With Jesus.”
The one we love is sometimes called our “significant other.” The term implies that no matter how many others we have coming and going in our lives, there is “one” who has a significant impact on us. This is the one we care about most and the one we think about most often. A famous pickup line goes, “Wow, you must be tired, because you’ve been running around my mind all day.” While I’m not sure this line has led to any life-long relationships, the sentiment is correct. In our relationship with Jesus, He is on our mind all day—we’re thinking about Him and how to please Him, and thinking about what He’s thinking of us. He is the most significant “One” in our lives.
Being in a relationship also means taking time out to ensure the one you love knows you’re in love. This includes carving out time to spend with your loved one. When I wake up in the morning, I realize how important and special it is to start my day in conversation with Jesus. In fact, sometimes my prayers begin with, “Good morning, Lord.” It’s my way of letting Him know that I’m not coming before Him out of habit or compulsion, but a true desire to start my day with Him. And I dedicate one day a week, Sunday, to visit His house, talk with others about Him, and enjoy being surrounded by His presence. Giving my time is an important part of showing Him my love.
A relationship should not be taken for granted—it requires a lot of work. We often call it “give and take.” In our relationship with Jesus, we may sometimes feel like we take too much. After all, He gave His very life in order to have an eternal relationship with us. What can we possibly give Him in return? Well, the love we show others is our way of giving back to Him. And when we honor and praise Him with our thoughts and actions, He blesses us in return.
What I love most about being in a relationship with Jesus is that it never ends. In the physical world, He surrounds us with His love, and we know that when we pass on to a spiritual place, we will rest with Him in glory. It’s a relationship that goes on and on. With none other can your status be “In a Relationship” forever!
Throughout the book of Psalms, David declares his relationship status with the Lord. As I read his songs of praise, such as Psalm 145, I thank God that I am, and will forever be, “In a Relationship…With Jesus.”
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The Lesson in the Maze
Recently a group from my church paid a visit to a local farm. As a city girl, it was a treat for me to take a hayride, pick fresh pumpkins, and enjoy nature for a few hours on a brisk, fall day. As part of the fun, I decided to take a walk through the corn maze—which God used as a great teaching moment.
I made sure everyone who wanted to explore the maze went in first. Some of the teens, parents with small children, and even my husband and 2-year old nephew went in ahead of me. Then I took a deep breath and said a quick prayer as I entered the maze myself, with its neat walls of corn stalks that stood about 7 feet tall. In the beginning, I loddy-doddied my way through, figuring I’d simply let my instincts and a little help from the Holy Spirit guide me through.
The Lord gave me a few minutes of “me time.” I wandered alone, with the dirt path under my feet, checking out the dried ears of corn that were still on some of the stalks. I had a map of the maze in my hand—but as I said earlier, I’m a city girl, so it wasn’t of any worth to me. After about 15 minutes, I realized it was probably time to get serious about getting out. So, I started to make a concentrated effort to get to the end.
Just then, I ran into my husband. He had our nephew by one hand and the maze map in the other. “Are you really trying to read the map?” I asked. “Of course—you have to follow the instructions,” he replied. “Yeah right,” I said, taking a right while he took a left. And my right led me straight into a dead end. I suddenly recalled that Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” So, I decided to go with my husband!
We made it to the center of the maze, where there was a platform. We walked up the stairs of the platform which provided great view that overlooked the farm. I paused to take in the colors of fall—brown, gold, green, orange, and red—which were just gorgeous. My husband told me it was time to move on and he continued to lead us by the map.
I was starting to wonder if this map thing was really working out. We hadn’t really hit any dead ends while following it—but we still weren’t out of the maze, either. My nephew, who had grown tired of walking, was now in my husband’s arms, along with the map. As I was beginning to doubt my husband’s map-reading skills, we were joined by a young lady from another group. “You look like you know what you’re doing. I’m following you!” she said. Well, there was no way some one else was going to have more faith in my husband than me! “Yep, he’s a smart guy and he’s going to lead us out of here,” I told her.
Soon after, we were out of the maze! The young lady was the first of her group to make it out, and she triumphantly sat at the exit to wait for the others. I told my husband I was really proud of him for getting us out with the map. He replied, “It’s easy when you follow the instructions.”
That’s when the Lord laid on my heart the full scope of his words. When I followed my own way without the map, my “right” took me to the wrong place. Isn’t that a lot like life? When we try to follow our own mind, we end up in a dead end. In my home, we try each day to “follow the instructions” that God gave us for daily living—in other words, our Bible. And my husband is the one we depend on most to lead the charge and keep us on the right track—just as he had done in the maze. Even more so, his conviction and our example were an encouragement for someone else to follow the right path!
Lord, You have mapped out the best way to navigate through this life—I’m going to trust and follow Your way!
I made sure everyone who wanted to explore the maze went in first. Some of the teens, parents with small children, and even my husband and 2-year old nephew went in ahead of me. Then I took a deep breath and said a quick prayer as I entered the maze myself, with its neat walls of corn stalks that stood about 7 feet tall. In the beginning, I loddy-doddied my way through, figuring I’d simply let my instincts and a little help from the Holy Spirit guide me through.
The Lord gave me a few minutes of “me time.” I wandered alone, with the dirt path under my feet, checking out the dried ears of corn that were still on some of the stalks. I had a map of the maze in my hand—but as I said earlier, I’m a city girl, so it wasn’t of any worth to me. After about 15 minutes, I realized it was probably time to get serious about getting out. So, I started to make a concentrated effort to get to the end.
Just then, I ran into my husband. He had our nephew by one hand and the maze map in the other. “Are you really trying to read the map?” I asked. “Of course—you have to follow the instructions,” he replied. “Yeah right,” I said, taking a right while he took a left. And my right led me straight into a dead end. I suddenly recalled that Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” So, I decided to go with my husband!
We made it to the center of the maze, where there was a platform. We walked up the stairs of the platform which provided great view that overlooked the farm. I paused to take in the colors of fall—brown, gold, green, orange, and red—which were just gorgeous. My husband told me it was time to move on and he continued to lead us by the map.
I was starting to wonder if this map thing was really working out. We hadn’t really hit any dead ends while following it—but we still weren’t out of the maze, either. My nephew, who had grown tired of walking, was now in my husband’s arms, along with the map. As I was beginning to doubt my husband’s map-reading skills, we were joined by a young lady from another group. “You look like you know what you’re doing. I’m following you!” she said. Well, there was no way some one else was going to have more faith in my husband than me! “Yep, he’s a smart guy and he’s going to lead us out of here,” I told her.
Soon after, we were out of the maze! The young lady was the first of her group to make it out, and she triumphantly sat at the exit to wait for the others. I told my husband I was really proud of him for getting us out with the map. He replied, “It’s easy when you follow the instructions.”
That’s when the Lord laid on my heart the full scope of his words. When I followed my own way without the map, my “right” took me to the wrong place. Isn’t that a lot like life? When we try to follow our own mind, we end up in a dead end. In my home, we try each day to “follow the instructions” that God gave us for daily living—in other words, our Bible. And my husband is the one we depend on most to lead the charge and keep us on the right track—just as he had done in the maze. Even more so, his conviction and our example were an encouragement for someone else to follow the right path!
Lord, You have mapped out the best way to navigate through this life—I’m going to trust and follow Your way!
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