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EVEN WITH a lasting penchant for car shows, I must admit that there are preferences to my attending. Commonly, many of these shows occur at municipal parks, shopping areas, veteran’s facilities, and other large venues. These places in either cities or small towns usually try to commercially promote their locations or simply want to serve the community. Therefore, car clubs that often have no large, accessible and convenient spot of their own... usually do a wintry search of these for holding any large summertime show. While all of these sites are good candidates for their search, I do have my own favorite. Being a pastor, I like going to shows held in a church parking lot. Whenever possible I also like to go inside that church to look at the sanctuary. For me, a survey of the stained-glass windows, pew arrangements and altar reveals the theology of the church and possibly its denominational ties. In all cases, |
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Right Turn Church…? |
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my ultimate motive emerges. I try to find the bulletin board. That usually tells me of their activities, and either blatantly or subtly reveals the congregation’s overall health. This diagnostic move is somewhat like making a cylinder power balance check or compression test on an aged automotive engine. |
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Subsequently, in doing this tour within the recent years I find diagnostic signs that many Christian churches in American need an overhaul. Over a span of time, I found that our active membership is shaky. Fewer and fewer persons attend worship regularly and go to Bible studies or other church activities. In similar fashion to American education where a large number of people are now independently enrolled in home-schooling, many Christian believers are dropping out of communal church life because of doctrinal turmoil. Therefore, I want you to become somewhat like a well-qualified mechanic who does a proper engine performance diagnosis. We shall find the Church needs to do some serious thinking about its future, and we don’t yet know the solution. Pray that the Holy Spirit may guide us. Many churches look like a rather exclusive car show, having only antiques present with a smattering of new models mixed into the lot. Our congregational birthrates are down. Occasionally we may see an older |
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To move forward, may Almighty God empower the Church to make the right turns in modern society. |