Restless Sheep and Popularity Contests

Any high school election is just a popularity contest. Hopefully, when these teens are old enough to vote in a general election, they will also be mature enough to judge candidates on legitimate merits, not on good looks and personality.

That said, in my lifetime, I've observed an increase of popularity contests among churches, as they try harder and harder to outdo each other in attracting large crowds. Sadly, though, most churches are not increasing the flock with “new believers” but by “transfer” growth, people moving from one church to another. This is sometimes referred to, especially by the 'losing' church, as “stealing sheep.”

In the Church at Corinth, the sheep were aligning themselves with the most popular shepherds within the local church, causing divisions (1 Cor. 3). While this was condemned by Paul, he did not address any problem with “transfer” growth (after all, there was only one church). In our day, there seems to be an increase of restlessness among the sheep. Is this another sign of our times?

Giving Up The Way Things Used to Be

Though I can’t see Russia from my house, I can see an ugly old airport hangar at Moffett Field, a Navy base. "Hangar One" as it is called, was built during the Depression—one of the largest unsupported structures in the country, covering eight acres (10 football fields.)

Though it is useless today, Hangar One is the center of a spirited debate. Historians would like to preserve it as a historic landmark: plans that have been put on hold since it was learned the structure is full of toxic chemicals leaking into the wetlands around San Francisco bay. The issue is whether to tear down the hangar and reuse the land, or to clean the toxic waste from the site and refurbish the hangar. Even Lenny Siegel of the Save Hangar One Committee admitted that the hangar may be too unstable to save.

This “save the hangar’ thing seems awfully impractical, if not just bizarre. Why is Hangar One of such historic value? It’s just a big old empty garage. Of course you know I am going to point out a spiritual parallel. Who does not know the struggle of letting go of the past—giving up something that is familiar (a part of us). This is true both psychologically and spiritually. But giving up the old is an essential part of mental and spiritual growth. And when people refuse to give up “the way things used to be” (the “old self”) they become both psychologically and spiritually arrested.

I think holding on to toxic Hangar One is like holding on to what Paul calls the “old self.” “Throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through... Instead... You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness” (Eph 4:22-24). In other words, the old 'you' cannot be remodeled. It must be razed! “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1).

Would You Like Fries With That?

I love the book of Hebrews. But it’s a not an easy read. Not what you’d call the milk of the Word; it’s definitely what Paul meant by “solid food” (1 Cor. 3:3). However, in chapter 5, the writer reproves the Hebrew Christians as yet being like babies, still drinking milk, and unable to digest solid food. Further explaining, he says; “by this time you ought to be teachers instead of needing someone to teach you…” (5:12-14).

Beginning with mother’s milk—with all the necessary nutrients for early life—babies must advance to solid food for development of teeth, bones, muscles, and in particular, the digestive system itself.

A relevant comparison for today is that most Americans are so accustomed to eating processed foods (Fast Foods, frozen foods, canned foods), they are nutritionally deprived and digestively challenged. The over-processing of food has made digesting almost irrelevant.

Likewise, too many Christians are passive pew-sitters & radio-listeners, receiving digest-able teaching from someone who has spent hours chewing on the meat of the Word so they might receive it. But all the real work of masticating has been done for them. The result: they are unable to digest and absorb into their spiritual ‘blood stream’ anything but the simplest truths: their spiritual growth is stunted.

Let us be careful we do not get lulled into passivity by our pastors’ sermons, our great TV and radio teachers, and a plethora of good books, and forget how to feed ourselves the Word. “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15)

How’s your appetite? Are ready for a good meal? (Skip the fries!)