Image is Everything?
The thoughts below were expanded upon in my last sermon (by which I mean not just my most recent sermon, but possibly the last one I'll be asked to preach at my church. I don't think this message went over too well with many of the powers that be.) One of these days I'll post the whole thing here.
Sometimes I wonder how it is that we as Christians (particularly Seventh-day Adventists) have become so caught up in external appearance. It would seem that we of all people, should be the least concerned with what people look like on the outside. After all, “man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.” I guess that’s it. We’re all too human. It just seems that this world is obsessed with external appearances (to be valuable, you must be thin, pretty, fashionable, “hot”) and in our own way we’ve bought into the same type of thinking--that what matters is what we've got on our bodies instead of what's in our hearts.
I also wonder how it is that our so-called Christian standards have come to have more to do with soothing the sensitivities of the pious Pharisees that sit in our church pews than avoiding being a stumbling block to those weak in the faith. It seems we’ve come to a place where we are careful not to upset the “strong” Christians in the church at the expense of those tentatively peering in the door. Tell me, exactly what kind of “message” are we sending to those who are not members of our church with our un-pierced ears. It doesn’t even register! Let’s face it, the world doesn’t recognize the spiritual person by what is or isn’t in their ears, but by “the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit.”
Sometimes I wonder how it is that we as Christians (particularly Seventh-day Adventists) have become so caught up in external appearance. It would seem that we of all people, should be the least concerned with what people look like on the outside. After all, “man looks on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart.” I guess that’s it. We’re all too human. It just seems that this world is obsessed with external appearances (to be valuable, you must be thin, pretty, fashionable, “hot”) and in our own way we’ve bought into the same type of thinking--that what matters is what we've got on our bodies instead of what's in our hearts.
I also wonder how it is that our so-called Christian standards have come to have more to do with soothing the sensitivities of the pious Pharisees that sit in our church pews than avoiding being a stumbling block to those weak in the faith. It seems we’ve come to a place where we are careful not to upset the “strong” Christians in the church at the expense of those tentatively peering in the door. Tell me, exactly what kind of “message” are we sending to those who are not members of our church with our un-pierced ears. It doesn’t even register! Let’s face it, the world doesn’t recognize the spiritual person by what is or isn’t in their ears, but by “the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit.”
posted by Sean at 2:02 AM
1 Comments:
True Christians love each other no matter what is dangling from their ears. We should love homosexuals, Hitlers, and people who talk bad about us behind our backs. But I wouldn't be too quick to throw out the "No Jewlery" policy with every self-righteous big whig in the church.
Now is the time of judgement, a time when Jesus in the the Most Holy of Holies in heaven going judging those who claim to be under the blood of Jesus. During the Old T, the Hebrews would fast and refrain from all sorts of enjoyments during this time. It was a time set aside for deep soul searching. People dressed simple and sought forgiveness for their sins.
The anti-jewelery feeling that is so deeply rooted in our church comes from the belief that now is the time that we should be afflicting our souls, rooting out sin, and spreading the message during our last few moments of light. I know that this is a hard thing to keep going, especially since Jesus has been coming for so long and still hasn't showed up. While jewlery itself is not bad, it is bling bling. Hey, look at me, it says. People wear jewlery for fun, to be seen, because it's cool. It doesn't serve any practical purpose. That's not evil, but it can let us lose sight of our ultimate goal and the that our time is running out.
Sometimes I wear jewlery. Other times I don't. I don't wear it now because my school says we're not supposed to wear it. When I'm home I usually don't wear it because afte a few days of being "cool" it gets annoying. I don't think jewlerly is a salvation issue.
Judging people becuase of what they wear is. Pushing people away from the church because they are more liberal or more conservative is dead wrong. Jesus got made at the church goers who pushed away sinners, not the sinners. At the same time, we (you and I) need to do everything to make sure that nothing is in between us and Jesus. In this light, jewlery, drama in church, the kind of music we play, all fade. The relevence of anything is directly porportionate to it's connection with Jesus. May be love both the jewlery wearers and the plain dressers. There are more important things to focus on. Like the woman in Kagman, the dead Christian sitting behind you in church, and supporting the tired saints. Keep up the good fight.
Semper Fi, Mack.
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