Voting, Dressing and Reading
September 2004 by Pastor Nabors |
So, What's Your Excuse?
The luxury of laziness and cynicism surely must be an American monopoly, especially when it comes to voting. I am told that during the last presidential election approximately four million Evangelicals did not vote. I mention Evangelicals because I imagine that the people who read this fall into that category, whether you like the way other Evangelicals vote or not.
I have heard that about ten million Afghans have registered to vote though threatened with death and terror. It really cost those people to take the step of registering, and when they go to vote some of them will lay down their lives for the privilege. With all the violence in Iraq, it will be interesting to see how eager those people are to use a right most of them have never had.
Unless you have been buried in a bomb shelter, you do know we are facing a presidential election. The time to register to vote will soon come to an end. For most states it will end on October 1st. Over the years this process has gotten easier and easier. Certainly those of us who celebrate Black history know that black people in the South were denied the right to vote for a century after the Civil War. We know about things like being asked to count beans in a jar, or other unanswerable questions, that were used to keep black people from being able to register and vote.
For those of you who regularly don't vote, let me ask you this question. Is it nothing to you to mock a right which many good people died, or risked their lives, to give you?
You may actually feel your vote makes no difference, or that the choices represent no real change for the future of our country. At this point I would like to insult you: these are just excuses for your arrogant, lazy refusal to make a decision. Maybe for you making a decision means you will have to start caring about the result, and that might be scary because you don't want to care about it and then lose. I am not asking you to care or vote in this election without faith. The results we have to leave to the Lord, and we have to trust him with our futures, our lives, and our country. But we must do our part. Pray about your choice, get registered, and vote. Then remember no president is or can be Jesus, and that all politics and government will be unsatisfactory until the government rests upon His shoulders.
Women's Clothing Causes Scandal in Church
Well, not yet, but it is getting close to that. Lately the pastor has received several notes and messages from women in the church concerned with how younger women are dressed for church services. The women who have brought the issue up usually mention speaking with the men in their families, especially their young men.
It seems to me we have several issues here at one time. I imagine that some young women might be oblivious to the fact that their manner of dress (or un-dress) is a distraction to others. Our culture seems to take pride in the idea that women should be able to dress any way they want to, and men should simply be able to control themselves. Our problem in church is not so much the danger of women being fondled or molested, but the problem of all of us keeping our thoughts and minds on worshipping God. Some women may not know that young men have a very difficult time not thinking about sex most of the time.
Did that shock you? I hope you will take a reality check when you prepare to come to worship. Sex and its desires are very strong-that is just the way we are wired, there is nothing unnatural about it, and we are not fixated on it here at New City. What we want to be focused on is the Lord. To that end I would like to ask the young women especially to have mercy on the men. Please think twice before you wear a halter top to church, especially the kind that are knotted in the back. If the clothes you wear are an imitation of underwear, or suggest a sort of lingerie appearance, this is inappropriate for worship. If your pants ride down so we can all see things about your rear-end that none of us want to see on Sunday morning, then don't wear those kind of pants to worship. Young men, I don't particularly want to see what kind of underwear you are wearing either.
Can you believe this conversation? I know of churches where they don't let women wear pants at all, ask them to cover their heads, and have all kinds of rules. We want to be a church where anyone can walk into this place and be loved and welcomed, and not judged, and hopefully find Jesus here. None of us should act holier than thou, or self-righteous, and go around judging people's clothing. Neither should those who are already Christian, and who regularly attend here use their freedom in a way that is hurtful to others. The older women should speak, with gentleness and respect, to younger women (but only to those they know attend here faithfully) when they feel a piece of clothing might be offensive or distracting. Please notice my emphasis on gentleness and respect; I don't want anyone to be scolding people like you are their Momma, unless you are their Momma.
If this message bothers you, please read Romans Chapter 14. Here is one verse from that chapter, verse 13: "Let us not therefore judge one another any more; but judge this rather, than no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way."
Freeman Library Dedicated
Across the street from our sanctuary, on the corner of Derby and Third Street, is Evangel House. This house used to be the home of Monroe and Bessie Freeman. The church purchased the house from the Freemans as they moved into a nursing home. Mr. Freeman passed away first, and his funeral was held here at New City. Members of the family and friends gave gifts to the church in honor of Mr Monroe Freeman, Sr. At that time we decided to use that money to create a library/bookstore in the old Freeman house.
A few weeks ago Mrs. Bessie Freeman went to be with the Lord, and the Rev. Monroe Freeman, Jr. asked if we could have her funeral at New City. It was our delight to do so since Mrs. Freeman used to sit up close to the front, near the pulpit on Sunday mornings, whenever she was well enough to come to church. Since the family was gathered for the funeral, we decided to have a dedication of the library. We were able to take the family over to Evangel House and show them how it has been renovated, and they were able to see the new library and bookstore. Again, family and friends have been donating money in the Freeman's honor.
We are calling the library the Freeman Library in honor of Monroe and Bessie Freeman. We hope everyone will make use of it by coming over and borrowing books, and buying things which might be on sale. Please help us take care of it, and the books, so others can use it as well.
-Pastor Randy Nabors |
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