Castle On A Hill?

This past weekend was a busy one... between leading songs for Saturday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night services and getting ready for a show I'm doing with another artist this upcoming weekend, my fingers are sore to the bone and I'm feeling pretty warn out. None of the services felt particularly "safe" from my standpoint, but that's ok because it is not about me, right?

The weekend did allow me some time to talk with some trusted friends and contemplate a few things that have been nagging at me for some time.

I even started working some more on a few songs that I'd like to record on my own... a scary endeavor for someone who isn't confident in their talents and has always had other band mates to help him along the way.

I've been asking a few "friends" in the music business to write some songs with me, but as of yet I haven't been able to convince any of them... maybe I smell bad or something. *grin*

Maybe my frustration with some of the other things in life has skewed my perception, but I wanted to share one thing that has really been heavy on my heart and mind over the past year or so. It is a phenomenon in which churches and individuals have become increasingly inward focused. Of course there is "nothing new under the sun", but hear me out for a moment...

Matthew 5:14 talks about being like a city on a hill... basically being so filled with our purpose in God, that we cannot help but show Him to others. However, most of what I see these days reminds me more of a castle on a hill. We spend so much time arguing symantics and difference between churches... or even WITHIN churches... that there is little to no time left to be any sort of light to others. We've made it all about the pomp and circumstance... The legalism over the intended purpose... The casual Christian over the follower of Christ.

How many times do things like attire in the church need to be discussed? How about all the things that are wrong with such and such church across town? How about the battles between the youth and the older generations in the church?

The list can go on and on: dispensations, gifts, teaching styles, music styles, etc.

As these battles rage on behind the closed gate of our castles, the villagers are starving in the little town at the bottom of the hill.

I'm not suggesting that some differences and some discussions aren't worth having... but I am suggesting that we need to be very careful about what we make issue over because of most of them are based upon personal preference. We can of course find some weak, out of context references to pick our battles, but by in large we simply don't need to go there.

I've had a few experiences in my life that have really changed my way of thinking... maybe someday I'll discuss them, but chances are I'm the only one who finds them interesting. What I discovered in all of this is that although I consider myself conservative (I'm talking spiritually... let's leave politics out for right now)... I've learned that the more conservative I become, the more radical/liberal I am beginning to look in the modern church's eyes. The more Christ like I intend to be, the less legalistic and prim and proper I become.

You tell me... if Jesus was here walking the earth in the form of a man right now, do you think He'd be arguing within the church walls about whether we should wear a suit and tie versus jeans and a button down shirt... or do you think He would be asking us why we aren't taking His word beyond the walls of our castle?

A city on a hill invites people in... a castle on a hill closes people off in order to protect their way of life... which would you rather be?

In Him,
Jim

(all bible passage links are from BibleGateway.com)