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Music draws more importance for the would-be disciple than the gospel reading, sermon and holy meal. I ask you, “Do we really need to soft pedal sainthood so it becomes a supporting role behind an electric guitar?” I ask, “If we do favor this method, how do we cease our slide toward becoming a social club? Have faith expressions fallen so far from mainline favor that our congregations shall be like white sepulchers sitting alongside a road as decorative, recycled milk cans?” Do demons laugh at these efforts? It seems that they do. By observation we can see that various lifestyles already lure many of our faithful away from real church. Their modern paths often promote at best a believer’s casual attendance within the community. Certainly, by my living in a small town and rural society, I also see where the Church is often replaced by other activities. Public schools draw persons farther into liberal secular lives. This is such that public schools now schedule sporting events on Sunday mornings without excuse. Finally, if and when students go off to college, they go without catechism training. They often sign up for classes taught by progressive professors that woo the un-churched far afield. This can drive them right into hell, so a congregation never sees them again. Indeed, know that demons do these shell games as faith divisions occur within political arenas, unions, fraternal organizations and businesses. Any church community that holds tightly to traditional biblical standards for human relationships are quickly described as archaic. Families whose biggest Sunday challenge is how to get everyone to football or band practice, see parents often feeling justified in taking that busy path. These want to dissuade young family members from getting involved with alcohol and drug subcultures. Consequently, we in the church see adolescent Sunday School suffers second string to sports or band practices. Hotly contested social issues such as marriage, abortion and tolerance for all religions rise demonically. These lure unwary parishioners so strongly that whole traditional denominations tumble. The pew in the Christian church have been cleared... so that congregations often take to liberal, progressive theologies so to keep membership rolls from lessening. By doing so, their sepulcher stays financially in place even though emptied of authentic Christian life. As this occurs, we find too many compromised ministers relegated to doing “social ministry” projects.
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Black Robe Regiment-Allegany-September 2025 |
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“As a rock which one cleaves and shatters on the land, so shall their bones be strewn at the mouth of Sheol.” ( Psalm 141:7) |