Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Baby Talk in Church

I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed you are still not ready. I Corinthians 3:2

A lady with small children told me, "I have scaled my talk down to little childrens' talk every day. I'm afraid that when my husband comes home from work I won't remember how to talk like an adult." I feel the same way about preachers and churches.

My niece, in her fifties, recently bragged about studying the Bible with her husband. "We learned that we are saved by grace," she told me. This is one of the cornerstones of our faith, but long-time Bible students should have learned it after a few years.

Sermons are often aimed at new Christians being saved. Now the letter "A" is a very important letter. But I don't want to hear from a college student that he studied it today. My best friend and I discussed how sermons are presented for new Christians or even non-believers instead of mature people of faith.

I love the scene in "Rollerball" where a coach is talking about the playing style of Orientals who they are about to play. Moon Pie says, "Same old lecture every year."

I am all for evangelizing new or prospective Christians. But where is the teaching for mature Christians?

I know of the "Safety above all" strategy. I should, I have heard it all my life. Stick to the Sermon on the Mount. Stay in the Gospels, preferably Matthew. The rest of the Bible, including the Old Testament? Too controversial. Want to collect your pension? Play it safe.

Some of us do not need so-called inspirational talks, as much as we need to hear the whole Word.

As far as sermons fit for "old ladies", I have found that this much laughed at "target audience" is avid for Bible study. But they do not get it. Have instruction for the neophites, but can we older Christians also be included in the curriculum? Can we pleeze move on?

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