EDITOR’S NOTE: Roger Shouse, a gospel preacher working with the Charlestown Road church of Christ, New Albany, IN, writes a daily article of thought entitled JUMP START. With his permission, and a bit of editing for space, I’m happy to share these thoughts.
Psalms 42:1 “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God.”
Gerald Sittser, in his book, “Water from a deep well,” makes this observation about modern Christianity: “Much of what we see and experience in contemporary Christianity is not leading us into the depths of God. If anything, it is making us feel restless and dissatisfied. ‘There must be more than this,’ we say to ourselves. We grow weary of trivial controversies and petty jealousies that divide the church, massive buildings and glittery programs that dazzle but do not make disciples, self-help sermons that gloss over the great truths of the biblical faith, styles of worship that pander to popular tastes, Christian leaders who strive for political influence at the cost of faithfulness to the gospel” (pg 17-18).
Even among us, there is a fascination with the new, the different, and being one-of-a-kind. Some congregations are held hostage to keeping up with what the mega churches are doing for fear of losing their own people. The thirst for God’s kingdom and righteousness has dried up among many today. Shallow and emotional have replaced depth and contentment. It doesn’t take much wind to blow down a faith made of cards.
So, if this is the elephant in the room, what’s the solution?
First, stop waiting for the church to deepen your faith. You take ownership of that faith. You lower the bucket deep into God’s word. If Bible classes are shallow and empty, study deeply at home. Get the books out. Get out paper and pens. There are so many powerful and great resources. Turn off the TV, put up the phone, and spend an hour in the evening getting deep into the Gospels, the prophets, the letters of Paul. Make your own commentary in a notebook. Find the meaning of words. Chase connections throughout the Bible. Do your homework. Get excited about this. It won’t take very long until you’ll want to invite others to join you.
Second, be looking backward instead of forward when it comes to learning. Don’t roll your eyes because a book or an article is more than fifty years old. Go back even further. Get online and read what some were writing about in the 1800’s. Those golden gems still hold true. They became the bedrock upon which many congregations stood and weathered the storms of their times. The Gospels are ancient, but relevant, practical, and needful today.
Third, don’t be in a hurry with God. Our culture is always on the move. Fast paced. Drive through. Everything you need at your fingertips. Quick. Convenient. Easy. Effortless. Slow down and enjoy worship. Sing more songs together. Don’t tease about how long worship takes. Reflect. Praise. Grow. Don’t allow the church to dictate your faith. Your faith is not through the church but directly to the Lord. (Romans 10:17)
Deeper Bible classes are needed. Teaching things that people are facing and giving them realistic Biblical answers is how faith is built upon solid foundations. Knowing how to handle the storms of life and finding hope in seasons of sorrow is the substance that will make us immovable in the Lord.
Sittser’s book is a journey into the incredible faith of the early martyrs and the spiritual habits of those long-ago believers. As a college professor, he leads a special, month-long class on a spiritual retreat. Most couldn’t take a month off to do that. But we could take a Saturday. We could take a Sunday. A fast from electronics. A retreat from the world. A day devoted to the Lord. And, in many ways, isn’t that what Sunday ought to be?
There is one way to make Sunday the best day of the week, and that is to make it that way!