Safe Church

Church, more and more, is becoming unsafe. How so? Pastors talk about movies that are unwholesome, winking and mumbling something about "but don't take the kids, it's probably for adults." why is the pastor even talking about these movies much less encouraging congregants to go see them? At church functions and/or church-sponsored small groups they are serving alcohol. And then the list goes on to include smoking of cigars at church functions, gambling and dancing with people you don't know cheek to cheek. Why is this a problem? Before you call me an old fogie, or worse et, legalistic, I hope you will read the rest of the post.

This is another example of church leads not knowing their members. How many men in churches are fighting pornography, are ex-alcoholics,, fight lust, are getting over gambling addictions, and so forth? And we are telling them to go to sexual movies, to dance, to drink, smoke and gamble? Are we nuts? This is coming about because of the big backlash to the former (and I do stress former) fundamentalist legalism. But that is past now so let's get over it. But we don't get past it if we simply go to the opposite extreme. We need to protect church members that have come out of the world into the glorious light of Jesus Christ. While certain members can partake of these things outside the church, shouldn't the church b a safe place?

But how do we accomplish this safety without being or appearing legalistic? The answer is we explain why we aren't doing these things as a church--to be a safe zone. But members can use their own prayerful discretion outside the church in their own lives. Frankly, a lot of this stuff that is going on today is simply rebellion. I've been in churches recently where leaders brag about drinking, smoking cigars and outdoing each other in what types of movies they've seen. I hope that church membs begin to leave these types of churches as it is obvious a new kind of holiness is needed today, one following the Spirit, not legalism.