October 7, 2002

ANOTHER VIEW:
Let church balance denouncements with announcements
___By Terry Cosby
___"In the United States, Christians tend to create subcultures, reading their own books, listening to their own music, educating their children in their own schools. Little cross-fertilization takes place between that subculture and the wider, secular culture."
___--Philip Yancy writing about Annie Dillard's appeal beyond Christians in "Soul Survivor"
___
___The church often has been known for what it didn't believe more than for what it did believe. We pretty much have no one to blame but ourselves for this.
___Baptists were known in days gone by as the church that didn't believe in drinking, gambling and dancing. This misunderstanding about our Baptist beliefs still is expressed now and then.
___A pastor friend of mine told me of a family whose children came to Christ, and mom was willing to come back to church, but she wasn't sure she believed in some of the "Baptist doctrine." Turns out she didn't like the no-drinking and no-dancing "doctrine," which isn't Baptist doctrine, just Baptist practice. Or it used to be Baptist practice. Baptists play the lottery, gamble in Vegas and at the track, and sponsor dances in their fellowship halls. I haven't seen any wine and cheese parties at Baptist churches, yet.
___The real problem is that it is so easy to denounce things. There's lots of evil and wrong in this ol' world, and somebody ought to do something about it. So we in the church denounce the evil. We're agin' it! In the '50s and '60s, we denounced communism, cigarettes and rock 'n roll. In the '70s and '80s, we denounced abortion, drugs and homosexuals. We now turn our righteous indignation to dirty movies, pornography and terrorism. Southern Baptists even organized boycotts of Disney and then scheduled their conventions in Orlando. Go figure.
___I always wondered how a certain movement or sin made the denouncement list. Blue Bell ice cream and Snickers candy bars never made the list, despite my addictions. Neither have carcinogen-laced French fries and potato chips. No one hardly ever talks about gossip. You'd think the idolatrous relationship we have in this country with sports, stars, recreation, NASCAR, "pro" wraslin' and materialism might garner more hardy denouncements than they do.
___Now don't get me wrong. I am all for some good denouncements. Have you not read the imprecatory Psalms or what Jesus said in Matthew 23 about certain religious folks' rules? The Apostle Paul had to denounce a few things, too--a mean silversmith, a few demons, a wayward church and legalism, to name a few. The Bible is not silent in its denouncements.
___But it is balanced.
___When we read the whole context of the incarnation of Christ, Scripture's announcements have far greater weight than its denouncements. The prophets announced the Messiah's coming. The angels announced his arrival. Jesus' miracles announced his compassion. (You thought I'd say "power" there, didn't you? Think about it.) His sermons announced God's heart. Jesus' cross announced God's love and mercy. His resurrection announced his power (there it is) over sin and death. His disciples announced his offer of forgiveness and our hope. And today his church announces, "There will be a committee meeting ... ."
___We don't have a hard time announcing what we really believe is good news. Have you not announced a birth in the family? A wedding? A promotion? A new car? A grandchild's arrival? A weight loss? An eternity with the Savior?
___And they will know we are Christians by our announcements.
___Terry Cosby is pastor of First Baptist Church in Hereford

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