It is not uncommon to enter a church building in America and find two flags on the platform, an American flag and a Christian flag.
This practice is obviously not found in Scripture, but the long-standing tradition is deeply entrenched in American churches, especially those of the “traditional, Bible-believing, fundamental Baptist churches” that are part of the fabric of my church background.
The year: 1692.
The setting: Salem Village in colonial Massachusetts.
Tension and unease filled the air as the sun cast long shadows over the Puritan settlement. An unfortunate, history-altering mysterious affliction befell several young girls.
Their behavior became erratic, marked by spasms, contortions, and eerie visions. Desperate to explain the inexplicable, the girls pointed accusatory fingers at fellow villagers, igniting a spark that would engulf the community in a fervor of paranoia and persecution.
On a dark and stormy night in 1938, millions of Americans huddled around their radios, listening to a broadcast that would forever change the way we think about truth and the power of storytelling.
The program was called “The War of the Worlds,” and it was a fictional drama about a Martian invasion of Earth.
I am the oldest of 12 children, and I have 7 brothers.
It has been 7 years since I last lived in my parents’ home, and I now have a family and a house of my own.
As with almost every home with children, bedrooms become messy and need cleaning at my home. It’s not unusual for parents to tell a child to clean his room.
Language is like humans. It lives, it breathes, it changes, and it dies. Unlike God who never changes, language is subjective and means different things to different people.
Unfortunately, within the church and in Christian circles, language is no more objective than it is outside of Christianity.
I mean, what did I even just say? What is the meaning of church, and what is a Christian? I know what I meant, but you may completely misunderstand what I meant because you might define those words differently than I did.
What should I write about next? Are there issues that you are facing or that the church is facing today that need to be addressed? Take 15 seconds to let me know!
