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A convenor of an ecumenical committee
recently said that it was necessary to add members
from one church to the committee so that other
churches did not outnumber it. I am reminded of what
it says in Deuteronomy 7:7 "The Lord did not love
you and choose you because you outnumbered other
peoples; you were the smallest nation on earth."
The church should not seek to add to its numbers in
order to have influence and power. Acts 9:31 puts it
this way "Through the help of the Holy Spirit it
was strengthened and grew in numbers, as it lived in reverence for the Lord." We are now at the beginning of a new century. There have been many technological and other changes in Society during the previous 50 years. The church, also, is attempting to create a more effective ministry in the 21st century, through change. While change is necessary, not all change is welcome or effective. Christians are concerned about the church and they are willing to accept change when they know that Scriptural values are not going to be changed. It is wrong to say that members of congregations wish to preserve the church, unchanged, for their own benefit. They love the church as they love God. |
Concerns about dress and modern
hymns are more likely to be a sign of disquiet that
the church is abandoning 'reverence for the Lord',
than a blind adherence to the status quo. No outer
form can destroy inner 'reverence for the Lord', but
changes that lose sight of inner truths are changes
too far. We may dress casually and sing new hymns with
gusto, but let us never abandon our 'reverence for the
Lord'.
The Amos Scripture Care Trust believes that it is essential to preserve Scriptural values, not only in the Church, but also in society as a whole. The Scriptures used on our cards are carefully selected for this purpose. We are aware that Scripture must not be used as blunderbuss to force people into accepting beliefs they do not understand. Rather it should be used like a surgeon's knife, to remove unnatural growth in order to bring new growth and healing. Pray for the church, as it faces the challenges of the future and tackles the tasks of outreach and mission. Let it be strengthened through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and 'reverence for the Lord'. Bruce Crerar |
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