church – Page 2

When the church ‘hurts’ you (Get over it!)

Posted on October 26, 2024October 26, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Person: Wah, the church hurt me.
Me: So?
P: Well, I’m HURT!
Me: So?
P: You monster, I’m in pain!
Me: So?
P: I hate the church because it’s full of hateful people like you. I’m leaving.

It hurts to be betrayed by your pastor. I know, it happened to me long ago, twice. It hurts deeply and in a way that other abuses don’t even touch, because they are just of the body, but pastoral or church wounds split the spirit.

At the same time, we cannot indulge the forever ‘hurt’ person in church. There is a point where empathy or compassion or hurt goes too far.

But before we continue, I make the explicit point that this essay is not about ‘shooting the wounded’ as Chuck Girard famously sang in 1983. It’s about learning to regulate our emotions, and it’s about spotting the emotional manipulators who claim the church hurt them, but refuse to either repent or forgive.

In the past, educators included teaching on emotional regulation as part of the normal day. Greg Morse in his essay “Emotions make Terrible Gods, wrote,

Educators in other eras considered the training of their pupils’ sentiments as a chief part of their employ. As opposed to merely making sure they knew their multiplication table and English grammar, education sought to train students to hate what is hateful and love what is lovely. They taught how to discriminate the good from the bad and then respond appropriately.

This society has become an emotional free-for-all where some who express any emotion use that as a justification for their abhorrent or destructive behavior. The emotionally immature or unrestrained emotionalism person expects sympathy or affirmation for their behavior connected to that emotion. Controlling one’s emotions seems like an antiquated or even destructive teaching these days. I assure you it isn’t.

In fact, we are commanded by God to feel certain things at certain times. Here are just a few examples from Morse, again from his article Emotions Make Terrible Gods:

Does God expect us to train our feelings? It appears that he does. He commands them. God commands obedience “from the heart” (Romans 6:17) — the vessel we often judge as ungovernable. He, unlike the mother, tells us what to fear and what not to fear (Luke 12:4–5); what we must and must not delight in (Philippians 4:4); what we must abhor (Romans 12:9); that we must never be anxious (Philippians 4:6); and how we can and cannot be angry (Ephesians 4:26).

I’m not talking about suppressing emotions, but for the Christian to be aware of two facts:

Emotions lie
Christians must not act FROM emotions

We DO feel Anger, empathy, fear, joy, sadness, anxiety, right? I also include hurt in the list. Feeling put-upon, wounded, misjudged, all those contribute to the umbrella of ‘hurt’. It is a true thing that people have been hurt by the church.

Steve Nichols at Ligonier, however, explains that there is a difference between emotions and emotionalism.

There is a difference between emotion and emotionalism.

When you get into emotionalism, the barometer for what is true or what is real becomes how I feel about it. So if I feel excited about this, this thing is good. If I don’t feel excited about this, this thing is bad. We can even judge doctrine that way and begin to ask, “How does this make me feel?” or, “How does a biblical book make me feel?” and judge its value to our life and our Christian walk based on that.

Emotions are real and of course God knows this. He knows we are fragile, dumb sheep. The Spirit has inspired many verses about how to handle the wounded.

Galatians 6:1 says Brothers and sisters, even if a person is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual are to restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you are not tempted as well.

Of Galatians 6:1 Barnes’ Notes says, “we should be tender while we are firm; forgiving while we set our faces against evil; prayerful while we rebuke; and compassionate when we are compelled to inflict on others the discipline of the church.“

Romans 12:15 says, Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:6-8 of the person who caused sorrow, Sufficient for such a person is this punishment which was imposed by the majority, 7so that on the other hand, you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a person might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.

Church SHOULD be a sanctuary for all who enter, a place of emotional maturity to help the wounded, the sinning, the grieving, the hurt, the joyful, the anxious…but I know that oftentimes it isn’t.

Alternately, there are true churches that are a sanctuary but contain congregants who feel wounded in some way (perhaps they underwent appropriate discipline, or whose husband had a moral failure and the wife feels it wasn’t properly addressed, or any number of feelings of anger, disappointment, or hurt.) In many cases the feelings of hurt the person are not helpful – or even genuine.

It’s a dilemma, this person says the church hurt them and that person says the church hurt them, but one is genuine and one is a manipulator.

Did you know that in between 1 and 2 Corinthians, Paul wrote another, more “severe” letter? That letter is not part of the canon, apparently the Spirit did not wish to preserve that epistle for all time. However we know Paul wrote it and we know why. As RC Sproul said in his essay Paul’s Severe Letter to the Corinthians,

The Apostle tells us in 2 Corinthians 1:23 that he did not come to Corinth because he wanted to spare them. As 1:24–2:4 makes clear, Paul’s unplanned visit to Corinth to deal with problems there after writing 1 Corinthians was quite painful for both the Apostle and the church there. We do not know what happened during that meeting, but it was so difficult that the Apostle did not believe another visit would be fruitful, at least not before there had been some move toward reconciliation. Paul had enacted some kind of church discipline during that “painful visit,” the congregation had not responded well, and hard feelings existed on all sides. Thus, Paul did not return so that he would not exacerbate tensions.

The Corinthian church was a mess. There were sins, wounds, hurts, bitterness, apathy, unbiblical tolerance, and more. At one point, Paul asked them if they wanted him to come to them with gentleness, or a rod.

What do you desire? That I come to you with a rod, or with love and a spirit of gentleness? (1 Corinthians 4:21).

Here, Paul is demonstrating that a pastor has a diversity of approaches in his handling of truculent congregants. He, or the other leaders, carefully consider which to employ, when. The gentle touch or the rod? Both are appropriate. It is NOT unloving to handle a self-identifying wounded congregant with a rod. Sometimes it’s necessary if they have crossed the boundary into destructive behavior. It is then the behavior, not the hurt, must be addressed.

When a congregant feels that the church hurt them, there is no set timetable for a person to move on from that hurt. Some wounded folks forgive quicker, others take longer. So how do we reconcile dealing with true hurt and false hurt? Or know when it’s been long enough? A few ways.

One is obvious- they refuse even a gentle rebuke, reject correction, refuse even to come to the table to talk about it. In that case it becomes clear they WANT to remain in the hurt mode and not reconcile or heal.

Secondly, we know they have crossed the line from feeling hurt and disappointed, to bitterness and more destructive emotions, when they begin to gossip or slander. If they gossip about their issue that ‘hurt’ them, blaming and shaming others, you know that their heart has become entrenched in an emotion that is not of God, but one that is damaging to themselves, the people around them, and to the church’s reputation.

In a recent case of a leader who was revealed to be an adulterous hypocrite, a woman on Twitter/X had been a former member of that leader’s church. She claimed to have been ‘hurt’ by that church and left it. She never said if she was (rightly) excommunicated or if she was genuinely hurt by bad practices. But she had much to say about the goings at that church on during the scandal. Because she was no longer a member there, the information she posted was second-hand leaks from present members; so, gossip. After reading numerous negative and slanderous tweets of hers, I gently chided her for her slander of the elders, but the admonition fell on deaf ears. She continued to slander because she had been ‘hurt’, feeling justified and righteous to do so. This is wrong.

A smaller category of wounded women are the abuse divas. They’re a smaller category but are louder than any other. They claim to have been sexually harassed or even sexually abused by leadership and have ‘triumphed’ over their wounds by becoming “church sexual abuse survivors.” Others say they are “spiritual abuse survivors”.

Yet, constant obsessing over past wounds is not triumphing over anything, least of all over one’s emotions. Constant harping on what ‘they did to me’ is the opposite of forgiveness and moving on. These women are a clutch of menacing ravens hovering darkly over the church, shrieking their ‘story’ to all who dare to glance even momentarily toward their gloom.

This bunch is easy to spot. They are constantly negative, have nothing good to say about the church, and boast of their departure from it, even gloating in their own deconstruction. They cannot and will not regulate their emotions toward anything healthier or even toward what is commanded.

I understand hurt. Trust me, I understand abuse. I also can detect narcissistic ‘poor me, I’m hurt’ woundedness. I have little tolerance for the latter. Why?

Jesus was rejected by his own people, betrayed, scourged, crucified. Paul was beaten, falsely arrested, rejected. Sinners sin. Sinners populate churches. You’ll get hurt. Life hurts. Why? Sin. It happens.

Peter speaks of not being surprised when the fiery trial comes upon them, as if it was a strange thing. He was speaking of persecution there but why should we be surprised when any trial comes upon us? It would be ordained by God and for our good, even though it may feel horrific at the time. This is why we must put aside feeling blame against the church and trust Jesus.

If a person is in an unsafe situation in the church, of course, she should leave and seek help. Remember, I’m talking about when people claim the CHURCH hurt them, not wounds they bring to the church from prior to salvation or hurts that occur outside the church from their personal life.

Jesus underwent the greatest hurt and betrayal of all time. He triumphed over that evil and all evil so that He could save His own and bring them to healing at His throne. Jesus is the great Healer!

Keep your eyes on Jesus. He loves you and will wipe those tears on the Day. But He must be worshiped no matter how you feel or no matter how you’ve been ‘hurt.’ We have to be undaunted. Blaming ‘religion’ for our hurts is in effect, blaming Jesus! No, no! There is no one more unjustly hurt on this earth than the sinless, holy God-Man who came to save us but was killed by his own ‘religion’, but a religion that He said had been perverted into something evil.

We need to think of God’s definitions of love, goodness, and justice. God’s commands for our emotions. The wisdom of acknowledging our emotions while not succumbing to emotionalism. The church contains sinners and sometimes their sinful behavior may hurt you. But the sweetness of healing at His throne from all hurts, even those foisted upon you from the church, is found in Him.

Isaiah 53:5, But He was pierced for our offenses,
He was crushed for our wrongdoings;
The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him,
And by His wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 61:1-3; The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
Because the Lord anointed me
To bring good news to the humble;
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
To proclaim release to captives
And freedom to prisoners;
2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To grant those who mourn in Zion,
Giving them a garland instead of ashes,
The oil of gladness instead of mourning,
The cloak of praise instead of a disheartened spirit.
So they will be called oaks of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified

Psalm 147:3; He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds.

Further Reading

TruthScript: David Platt and the Respectable Sin of Pastoral Corruption

Desiring God: Emotions Make Terrible Gods: Taking Control of Our Feelings

Ligonier: What do you think about emotional sensationalism in the modern church?

abraham, end time, prophecy, remember lot's wife

Abraham’s altars and the lesson for us

Posted on July 6, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Genesis is such an amazing book of the Bible. In re-reading Genesis 12, I was again astounded by the depth and complexity of human history and our relationship with God. Genesis 12 is the famous chapter in which God called Abram (later name changed to Abraham) and made a significant promise:

I will make you a great nation; … I will bless those who bless you. And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen 12:2a & 3a)

You can be sure that the promise of God is solid, and that we are seeing the curse of nations who curse Israel beginning before our eyes. In verse 7 of Genesis 12, “Then the LORD appeared to Abram,” God appeared to Abraham. In my interpretation he appeared as the Son (Jesus said in John 8:58,”Before Abraham was, I AM.” He was quoting God speaking to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14). God appeared to Abram! Think on that for a moment. The El-Shaddai, the I AM, the ALMIGHTY, appeared to a man, walked with him, spoke to him, comforted him, and commanded him. It is a shuddering thought to ponder the gravity of those moments. That gravity was not lost on Abraham, who built altars to Him all over the Land wherever he went. Abraham did not build houses for himself, he built altars to God.

Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him. And he moved from there to the mountain east of Bethel, and he pitched his tent with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; there he built an altar to the LORD and called on the name of the LORD. So Abram journeyed, going on still toward the South.

Abraham built altars right away, to mark his obedience to the LORD, and to sacrifice and worship. When Abraham came back from Egypt, “to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the LORD.” (Genesis 13:3-4) which is another way of saying worship and sacrifice. When Abraham and Lot had separated and Abram moved to the region of Hebron, he “built an altar there to the Lord” (Genesis 13:18).

Abraham corresponded with the LORD by building altars for worship. Building an altar is an intentional, physical act. Worshiping on front of an altar is an intentional, physical act. When Abraham returned from Egypt, Abraham saw the altar he had originally made and ‘called on the name of the LORD’ in worship and thanks. In this case, the altar was a reminder of his relationship with the great I AM.

We do not need to build altars in these New Testament times, but we do need to be as dedicated and as intentional as Abraham in our relationship with God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You note that when Abraham and Lot separated, there was no mention of Lot building an altar to the LORD.

Lot was with Abraham when Abraham got the calling from God (Genesis 12:5) and was with Abraham throughout the blessing of his peoples’ increase. Lot saw God working in his family’s life. He reaped the blessings of Abraham’s obedience. But Lot did not build an altar. And from the biblical record we see how the distance between man and God can slowly grow when we fail to consistently correspond with the LORD.

Lot crept toward Sodom, closer and closer he pitched his tent, until he was finally living inside the city with all its sin and perversity. Though the sins of the city grieved Lot greatly (2 Peter 2:6-8) Lot did not build an altar. And in the end, Lot lost his city, his possessions, his family, his wife, (“Remember Lot’s wife” Luke 17:32) and sin fell upon his daughters, who lay with their father in perverse sin.

We do not build altars … but we pray. Our part of the correspondence between ourselves and God/Jesus/Holy Spirit is maintained through prayer, corporate worship, and fellowship in the body of the believers. Is your heart an altar to I AM? Do you pray constantly? Do you worship in faith and obedience, as Abraham did? No? Remember Lot’s wife.

Sequester a place where you pray, erect a wall around the dedicated time you pray, build an altar of prayer in your life and you will be blessed by the presence of the I AM Himself!!! He is with you, lo, even to the end of the age.

theology

The problem with parachurch organizations…

Posted on June 30, 2023June 30, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Today John Piper is trending on social media. Whenever a prominent Christian pastor or teacher is trending, I look into why. It’s usually not because the world has suddenly decided that these men are worth listening to and are applauding their wisdom. No. It’s usually the opposite. They have said something contrary to the world, and the word takes issue, even the professing Christian world. Or, they died.

Since it was Piper and he’s elderly (77 years old), I looked into the trend right away. Gladly, he is still alive and walking- and speaking. The controversy for today is that John Piper said in his podcast a few days ago, responding to a listener’s question, that para-church organizations should not be run or led by women. You can hear the 13-minute conversation at the link or read the transcript.

The questioner went on with saying that in his globally well-known parachurch ministry, “Women will [now] be permitted to teach men from the Scripture, to be in positions of spiritual authority over men, to shape and correct doctrine within the organization, and to mentor men in their ministry roles. The reason given for this change is that a parachurch organization is not the church…”

The Christian Post wrote about Piper’s reply it, here.
The Christian Mail weighed in with Piper’s reply also, here.

Nancy Pearcy, a well-known teacher and author, took issue with Piper’s stance, saying on Twitter, “Piper keeps digging in deeper. I am a professor at a Christian university. Some of my students are men–which means, I teach men. Many men also read my books, which could be construed as a type of teaching.”

I have written about parachurch ministries several times. I’ll link those below. Some reasons I am reserved about some parachurch organizations is that they directly and purposely compete with local churches. Some just have no accountability that we can detect. Some draw women away from their home church infect them with false teaching and send them back to the home church to infect it. Or, they are run by women with a poor understanding of scripture and gradually become unorthodox.

Here, J. Mack Stiles at 9Marks writes,

The standard cliché for parachurch is that it’s not the church, but an arm of the church. Yet historically, that arm has shown a tendency to develop a mind of its own and crawl away from the body, which creates a mess. Given the grand scope and size of many parachurch ministries, those which go wayward can propagate error for years: missionary organizations become gyms, heretical seminaries pump out heretical pastors, and service organizations produce long-term confusion between the gospel and social action. So what should mark a healthy parachurch? Read on to find out what Mr Stiles considers marks of a healthy parachurch.

I can’t be totally against parachurch organizations across the board, of course. Gideon’s International is a parachurch ministry. So is Ligonier from RC Sproul. Samaritan’s Purse that helps so many people after a disaster, is considered a parachurch ministry. Many parachurch ministries are healthy. But of the ones founded and/or led by women, I do have reservations. It doesn’t matter they “are not the church” as Piper explained, the ministry still should not be led or run by women-

Let me offer two reasons for thinking this way. One is that when the apostle Paul gave his instructions that only spiritually qualified men should teach and exercise authority in the church, his argument was not based on culture or on family or church or structures — ecclesiastical structures or any others. It was based on two things: (1) the order of man and woman in creation and (2) the dynamics between man and woman in the fall.

I’ll link to some of the articles I’ve written about parachurch ministries. Some of these organizations are bastions of false doctrine, hotbeds of feminism, and synagogues of satan, cloaked in flowery social media banners with softening filters and comfy women speech. Do not be deceived. Stay true to the Bible’s guardrails for orthodoxy and be careful of the teachings you choose to absorb, whether the teachings are in, or out of, the church.

I’m suspicious of para-church organizations. Here’s why

The issue with Parachurch organizations – especially ones founded by women Part 1 of a 3-part series

The issue with Parachurch organizations – especially ones founded by women part 2: Yada Factor

The issue with Parachurch Organizations – Especially Ones Founded by Women, part 3

IF:Gathering- More Information I’ve written about IF parachurch ministry several times. Some of those links are inside the essay here. Or you can plug IF:Gathering into the search bar to find more.

theology

How Jesus Builds His Church

Posted on January 29, 2023 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

The Grow in Grace Newsletter is written and emailed by Pastor James Bell of Southside Baptist Church in Gallatin TN. Pastor Bell has been leading this congregation in Tennessee for 48 years. He is a faithful shepherd! There are many like Pastor Bell. Do not lose heart when this one or that one falls, or revealed himself to be an apostate. The Lord has many who lead faithfully in all corners oft he world.

I find the Grow in Grace Newsletter to be edifying, so occasionally I post it for your perusal also.

James Bell wrote:

Please use the Grow in Grace Newsletter for your own spiritual growth; and as a resource to help equip you to minister to others! Volume 48, No. 4, January 24, 2023 / Southside Baptist Church / P.O. Box 1594 / 1028 South Water Avenue, Gallatin, TN 37066 (615) 452-5951 / The Grow in Grace Newsletter is a weekly Bible Study, plus local church news notes— designed first and foremost for members and those attending services at Southside Church; and is sent forth with the desire to aid one and all, (including friends far and wide), in the experience of 2 Peter 3:18. “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our LORD JESUS CHRIST

Jesus reminds us: “… I will build MY church; and the gates of hell [Hades: the powers of death] shall not prevail against it….” (Matthew 16:17-18) As Jesus builds His church— each saved/born again person is a part of the fellowship of the redeemed: “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (I Corinthians 1:9)

Moreover, this fellowship is not just me and Jesus; but it is — Jesus, me, and the local assembly of believers to which the Holy Spirit has joined me! (1 Corinthians 12:12-24) [Yes, we are in fellowship with ALL who are in Christ, all around the world— but we are in very specific fellowship with a local community of saints!]

We must understand: The entire New Testament period was not filled with churches to whom the Lord was adding new converts every day, as was the case in Acts 2!

For during the New Testament era and even to our day,

The preaching/teaching of Jesus and the Apostles drove and still drives many away! (John 6:66-71; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 4:1-5)
Just as Jesus warned in Mark 4:14-18— the work of satan, the reality of persecution, the cares of this life, and/or the love of money— these all REVEAL the lack of true conversion in many and so they fall away.
The Apostle John reported that there were many anti-Christs; and that they left the true congregations because they were false converts from the start! (1 John 2:15-19)

EVEN SO, none of the New Testament churches lamented, “Attendance was down last Sunday, we need a high attendance promotion!” AND: When the strong teaching of Jesus, (John 6:32-65), caused many who had been following Jesus to leave —

Jesus did not panic or tell the few who stayed, “O gee, we had better do some creative planning and develop a plan to appeal to the likes of the masses! … Maybe I need to up the amount of dramatic miracles!”

MOREOVER, there is no evidence that they took a ‘poll’ to find out what the lost like so as to adapt church to the lost. They had no sports, no comedians, no entertainment, no advertising budget to be spent on endeavors designed to attract pagans— or to hold on to and bring back the carnal multitudes who previously attended!

GENUINE New Testament Christianity is radically different! The Holy Spirit via the New Testament repeatedly calls upon believers,

(1) To not blaspheme the gospel by bad living!

(2) To adorn the gospel by Christ-like living!

(3) To live lives of loving one another!

(4) In addition, Jesus, in Revelation 2-3, reveals that which He commends, that which He commands; and that which He rejects if a church is to be truly effective.

The Acts of the Apostles overflows with wonderful teaching and examples as to the methods of Jesus in building an effective church ministry!

HERE ARE SOME OF THE METHODS JESUS HAS USED IN BUILDING HIS CHURCH:

(1) Persecution of the church led to a church-wide prayer meeting with the results being a fresh advance of the kingdom of God—

See Acts 4:23-33!

(2) Sin by church members led to severe chastening [SUDDEN DEATH!] with the end result being another fresh advance of the kingdom of God—

Acts 5:1-14!

(3) Neglect of some church members and murmuring in the church led to the appointment of special servants to minister to the Greek widows with the ultimate result being yet another fresh advance of the kingdom of God—

Acts 6:1-7!

(4) Bold preaching brought martyrdom and persecution which yielded yet another fresh advance of the kingdom of God—

Acts 7:1-60; 8:1-4!

SO, WHEN JESUS SAYS, “I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH!”… He often does it through surprising ways and circumstances…. At times even bringing good things out of bad things!

In a New Testament Church, all believers have to do is to stick to the business of holy Christian living and boldly proclaiming the gospel to the world. GOD will add to the church as He pleases! (Acts 2:42-47; 1 Cor. 3:6-11).

—end Pastor Bell newsletter Grow in Grace.

The verse in Acts just after Ananias and Sapphira were killed always strikes me. Acts 5:12-14,

Now at the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were happening among the people, and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Portico. But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, the people were holding them in high esteem. And more than ever believers in the Lord were added to their number, multitudes of men and women,

Barnes’ Notes says of that set of verses,

“The effect of all these things was to increase the number of converts. Their persecutions, their preaching, and the judgment of God, “all” tended to impress the minds of the people, and to lead them to the Lord Jesus Christ. Compare Acts 4:4. Though the judgment of God had the effect of deterring hypocrites from entering the church – though it produced awe and caution, yet still the number of true converts was increased. An effort to keep the church pure by wholesome discipline, and by cutting off unworthy members, however rich or honored, so far from weakening its true strength, has a tendency greatly to increase its numbers as well as its purity.”

It is still true today, as John MacArthur says, “Soft preaching makes hard hearts, but hard preaching makes soft hearts.”

People are hungry for the word of God, for answers to questions that bother them so, and for a community that is loving, as pure as possible, and Jesus-oriented. It has always been that way and it will always be. If a church decides to use other methods than the ones outlines in the Bible and reminded of to the reader above, then you will have a church filled with hypocrites, false believers, and clowns seeking entertainment and petting of their sin.

Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect.

beauty, Uncategorized

Art and beauty have a place in church

Posted on September 24, 2022September 24, 2022 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

I love church. I love the music, hymns & songs connecting me to my ancestors in the faith, all the way back. I love the sermons, God’s word expositionally preached is thrilling and fascinating every moment the preacher speaks truth to his flock. I love the people, singing praises to the Lord and singing His attributes to each other. Communion is an especially sweet time with the Lord. Just the thought that I can pray to Him asking for forgiveness of sins, and He will forgive them, is humbling. Dipping the bread into the wine is an act that Jesus performed as His last supper, when He instituted the ritual. My arm picking up the bread and dipping it feels like a long line holding me to time past, and in between, and the now with a oneness with all the other believers who have done the same thing. Continue reading “Art and beauty have a place in church” →

theology

We are saved to serve the church

Posted on June 17, 2022June 17, 2022 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

We are saved to serve the church, and by extension, Jesus who is the Head of the Church.

When I was saved I was in my early 40s. I am an introvert, a loner, and by my 4th decade, was set in my ways. I knew instinctively that with salvation comes church. I’d never been a church-goer as an adult, and church-going was easily not part of my life in dark and Godless New England.

I dragged my feet on the issue, and I really didn’t want to go. I thought I could just watch a TV preacher and study the Bible and that would be it.

Continue reading →

art, church, ephesus, laodicea, philadelphia, revelation, sardis, smyrna, thyatira

About those churches of Revelation…

Posted on May 19, 2021May 19, 2021 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

In the first century, there were 7 churches that Jesus caused John to write messages to. These were actual churches with actual congregations, doing and saying actual things. Jesus told apostle John, exiled at Patmos, what to write to these congregations. Jesus spoke commendations, criticisms, and instructions. Not all 7 churches were commended. Not all 7 churches were criticized. All had an instruction, though.

The church at Smyrna and the church at Philadelphia were not criticized. The church at Laodicea was not commended. The rest had both.

The churches were: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea.

Can you imagine being assembled on Sunday, hearing a knock on the church door, a messenger arriving and handing a scroll to your pastor, and the pastor reads a letter from the head of the Church, Jesus Christ Himself? Jesus is very much alive and in charge of His global body of worshipers, AKA His bride. He was directly involved then, and He is directly involved now.

Each of the seven churches was not only an actual church but is also a type of church dealing with a problem mentioned in the letters. The problem is not unique to that church for that time. There are always the same kind of systemic problems many churches deal with and have been recurring throughout the centuries. Always, there is a church somewhere that is busy but not alive. Always, somewhere, is a church that is indifferent and lukewarm. On this earth, there is a collection of churches gracefully enduring suffering, or being persecuted. And so on.

Please read Revelation 1-3, it is not hard. Those chapters offer the reader plain language and it’s not heavily symbolic.

Ephesus: I was struck by the fact they had abandoned their fervent love for Jesus. I imagined how, hearing this, John might have felt like he had ashes in his mouth and ears. “Nothing’s as cold as ashes, after the fire is gone.” (Loretta Lynn).

Smyrna: No criticism. Only light, the crown of life in heaven, and joy.

Pergamos: Compromise was their problem. Anyone who ever had a house built knows that if the contractor compromises on the concrete foundation, cracks appear at the first frost-freeze-thaw cycle. Nothing cracks a structure or an organization faster than compromise.

Thyatira: This church had a problem with a seductress teaching sexual immorality and the people tolerated it. It is a harlot church, literally.

Sardis: Revelation has a change in tone here. Sardis is dead. Can you believe that a church alive with people can be dead? According to the word of God here, it can and did happen.

Philadelphia: No criticism. This church is loved eternally from above. Its door will never close. This church is beloved in heaven.

Laodicea: Indifferent. Jesus hates that worst of all. He excoriates it with a lengthy invective no other church received in their message. He will vomit this church from His mouth.

If a messenger were to appear at your church door on a Sunday and hand a scroll written by Jesus to your pastor describing your church, what type of church do you think yours would be? If it is a church sliding into one of the less well-loved type of congregations, is there something you are contributing to its decline? Are you praying for your elders and pastors? Are you helping, or can find a spot to serve that will relieve some of the issues in the church? If your church is gloriously thriving, do you praise the Spirit for this? Pray for your pastor in gratitude for his hard work in the Lord?

theology

The Early Church was Perfect…Wasn’t it?

Posted on January 6, 2021January 6, 2021 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

It’s human to look back nostalgically and sepia-tinge away the bad memories, focusing on only the good ones. ‘Ah, the good old days’ we say. ‘Back when I was a kid’ we begin our stories.

And it’s like that when we read Acts. ‘Ah, that first century church. Those were the good old days of church. We should be like them. I wish our church was like them.’

And it’s true. There was a vibrancy and a wonder to that first century church that seems to be absent from many churches today. There was radical giving, fervent fellowship, tremendous sermons, and powerful signs and wonders. Who wouldn’t want that?

Continue reading →

theology

“If you’re physically able to attend your church on the Lord’s Day, and you choose not to, you’re sinning”

Posted on March 6, 2019January 6, 2024 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Recently I wrote about the importance of attending church regularly. (Popular blogger says you don’t have to “do” church). I refuted her premise, which is summarized in her statement:

It’s entirely okay to step out.

She offers pious sounding reasons, but upon even a cursory examination of her ‘reasons’ that it’s OK to step out of church, they are flimsy and collapse when looking at the light of scripture. Or just common sense.

However, I received push-back for my stance. It was this that surprised me. Greatly. I thought it was a given. You’re a Christian. You go to church. Why? You go to church to worship the Lord who saved your soul, to edify the Body with the gifts we’ve been given, to serve, and so on. It was clear.

church communion But apparently this is not clear to everyone. I thought there were non-negotiables in Christendom and that regular church attendance was one. However, everything seems up for grabs these days to disparage, question, or reject.

Excuses made for lack of regular attendance were: work interferes (for ten years), small groups can substitute, it’s legalistic to expect this, the Bible never commands it, there’s no good churches nearby…

I’ve been pondering this ever since. I have wanted to write about it again.

A teaching in Ephesians 3. Ephesians 3:10 brought sudden light to the church attendance issue in a way I’d not thought of before. Here’s the verse:

[grace was given] so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

Again, “so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places…

The passage is talking about how God uses His church to demonstrate His wisdom to holy and unholy angels. Choosing to step out of church means you’re choosing to step out of His plan to be used for His display in the heavenly realms of His wisdom to His creatures.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On another note to this notion of ‘you don’t have to attend church’, this segment of the latest 9Marks Mailbag was also highly pertinent. It directly answers the question of whether you should regularly attend. I asked permission to reprint this part of their essay and they said yes.

Must Christians Go to Church Every Sunday?

Dear 9Marks,

How many Sundays count as regular church attendance? Twice a month? Or are Christians required to be at church every Sunday? —Desmond

Dear Desmond,This is an important question. In short: if physically able, Christians should be present at every Lord’s Day gathering. It’s what we do. But let me explain.

First, before we receive a command to attend, we receive a promise: Jesus is present. Throughout the Bible, God is drawing his people to himself. In Genesis, we’re created to be in God’s delightful presence—and since the Fall, God has been redeeming his people for such a privilege. For Israel, God’s presence was restricted to the tabernacle (and later, temple).

But in Christ, all of God’s promises are fulfilled and these former images are transformed (2 Corinthians 1:20). Jesus is the temple—he’s “the place” we experience God’s delightful presence. Before Jesus left this earth, he gave a promise: “where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am present” (Matthew 18:20). What Jesus had in mind is what we call our “church services”: a group of people (at least two or three) who gather in the name of Jesus to represent him to the world. Therefore, church services aren’t like religious classes or moral fill-up stations or personal worship times. Jesus is present at our services in a unique way as the church gathers to worship and represent him. That’s the promise.

Second, consider the backdrop of the Sabbath. God himself established the seven day cycle of creation, rested on the seventh day, and then gave his old covenant people the covenant sign of the Sabbath both for rest and to mark them off as belonging to him. Almost immediately and universally, the churches of the New Testament stopped celebrating the Sabbath and began gathering on the first day of the week, resurrection day (e.g. Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Rev. 1:10). By doing so they both affirmed that they found their “rest” in the Lord of the Sabbath and marked themselves off as those who belong to him. That’s what it means to “gather in his name,” a gathering sealed by his presence (see previous point). In the same way, the seven-day cycle orders creation, so gathering on the first day orders new creation. If you want to make gathering every other week your regular practice, you first need to convince me God established a 14-day cycle in creation.

Third, the command to attend isn’t a pastor’s idea, but God’s. Members have responsibilities to one another, and elders have responsibilities to members. Practically speaking, the only way we can fulfill these duties is to be present when the church gathers. Hebrews 10:24–25 puts it bluntly: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” The habit of attending church every other week would also be the habit of forsaking church every other week. Of course, physical ailments, unforeseen emergencies, and other providential occurrences will occasionally keep you from attendance. But generally speaking, if you’re physically able to attend your church on the Lord’s Day, and you choose not to, you’re sinning.

I know that might sound strange to many modern-day Christians in America, but anything else would sound strange to many Christians of the past and in other parts of the world. Attending church on the Lord’s Day is the most natural thing we do. Geese fly in Vs, wolves hunt in packs, elephants travel in herds, penguins survive the winter in huddles, and Christians gather for worship. It’s our nature. It’s what we do.

—Joel Kurz

Please consider these things. Regular, faithful church attendance is so important. It should be made a priority in a Christian’s life, a high priority.

church

christian life, theology

Popular Christian Blogger says you don’t have to “do” church

Posted on January 27, 2019 by elizabethprata

By Elizabeth Prata

Kendra Fletcher is a popular podcaster, blogger, and book author. She writes at her own space but also directs you her archive of articles she’s written for at KeyLife Ministry, where the motto is “God is Not Mad At You.”

Kendra’s latest blog essay is titled,

What To Do When You Just Can’t Do Church Anymore

You read that correctly.

Mrs Fletcher’s very first point begins thus:

YOU DON’T HAVE TO DO CHURCH ANYMORE.
For some of us, church attendance was a non-negotiable weekly imperative with many assumptions attached to it. Our attendance and involvement has been linked to our faithfulness, our commitment, and our spiritual depth. Church attendance should be none of those things. It’s entirely okay to step out.

For all of us, church attendance IS a non-negotiable. Mainly for the reasons of: the Body (Romans 12:5), gratitude (Colossians 3:16), and command (Hebrews 10:25).

It is entirely not OK to step out.

Mrs Fletcher’s second point is that it is OK to step out if you were doing it for the wrong reasons. Take time to reassess, navel gaze, grab some me-time, she says. Not in those exact words, but close.

If you find that your church has become an idol, or ritual, or that you have become spiritually neglectful toward others within that body, or whatever wrong motivation you’d had- the solution is not to step out. You repent and confess. You lay your sin down in front of the throne, asking for forgiveness, and lay your sin down in front of the pastor and church people, and ask for forgiveness. Then pick yourself up and go next Sunday, pleading with the Spirit to help you grow in this area.

In the essay there is a lot of me-me-me. She writes-

Answering a concerned or critical question about why you aren’t involved/serving/plugged in/part of a community group can be answered with a simple, gracious, “I’m working through some stuff and just need some time, thanks.” Then walk out the back door.

What about relying on the Holy Spirit to help you through ‘your stuff’? What about dumping the prevalent attitude that I can work through my own stuff, Jesus need not apply, thanks. What about realizing that ‘your stuff’ is the Body’s stuff and that you’re not supposed to carry it alone? (Galatians 6:2). What about setting aside ‘your stuff’, die to self, and help someone else who is going through stuff?

Sadly, Mrs Fletcher equates church attendance with ‘doing’. It’s not. It’s called obedience. Mrs Fletcher does as so many bloggers, writers, and teachers these days do- equates obedience with ‘legalism.’

Ladies, following the commands of scripture is not legalism, try as many female bloggers tell you that it is. It’s called obedience. Developing Godly habits and adhering to them is not legalism, hard as many woman essayists explain to you that it is. It’s called Discipline. Legalism defined by Theopedia is,

a term referring to an improper fixation on law or codes of conduct for a person to merit or obtain salvation, blessing from God, or fellowship with God, with an attendant misunderstanding of the grace of God. Simply put, legalism is belief that obedience to the law or a set of rules is the pre-eminent principle of redemption and/or favor with God.

Arthur Pink put it simply, legalism is the notion ‘that sinners become saints by obeying the Law.’

We know that grace first abounded in God’s sovereign choice to regenerate us as a person from dead in sins to alive in Him.

POST salvation, our gratitude becomes so great and our worship so deep, we want to obey the Word that comes from a wellspring inside us that flows from our regenerated heart up to heaven, into the throne room, passing the cross with a wide-eyed gaze of wonder and relief.

Here is TableTalk’s most recent essay that happens to be on the topic of Joining and Being a Member of a Church. Their biblical take on it is that church membership and regular attendance is non-negotiable.

There’s not a hint of individualism or independence anywhere in those images. Nowhere does Scripture describe, much less prescribe, the Christian life as something that can be lived alone. In Christ, each Christian is related to every other Christian, and together we are the family of God (Rom. 8:14–16; Eph. 2:19–22). Deep commitment to and active participation in the church are nonnegotiable.

There are legitimate reasons for leaving a church, and the TableTalk essay covers those and gives practical ideas for maintaining one’s obedience to the Word as you transition.

Ladies, don’t let popular bloggers deceive you into thinking church attendance is a negotiable. You really can’t hit the pause button for temporal, selfish reasons and then pick it back up when you’re good and ready.

To say that it’s OK not to “do church”? That is a repellent phrase. It’s undignified given the majesty of the Triune God whom we worship the wondrous Person we praise, Him who saved us from a craven life of rebellion and an eternity from the tortures of hell.

The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. One way we do that is go to church, faithfully, regularly. Not ‘doing church’ but loving the God who gave us His body, of which we are a part.

church