Would you, if you could, change the world?

Would that you could, would you choose to make a difference in the lives around you?

Would you ease the hurting ache of loneliness?

Would you calm the terrors of fear?

Would you laugh with those who are rejoicing, and mourn with those in sorrow?

Would you shape this night and the coming morrow to be better than this day has been?

Would you bring a glimmer of light and hope to a world that is growing dim?

Then love.

Just love.

For love is listening, and love is caring. Love befriends the outcast and bewildered, it calms the frightened and shelters the weak. Love helps shoulder the burden, and multiplies the joy.

It lets one know they are not alone....and that can make all the difference.

Would you, if you could, change the world?

You can.

Be blessed, my friends, and may you be a blessing unto someone else,

In some ways we have an Alzheimer’s church

An interesting quote by an evangelical pastor. I know I have loved learning the depth of the Church's history (and I still have so much more to learn) and that learning that depth, those traditions, etc, has really deepened my faith. It has also added to identification more as a Christian and less as an American.

I think the problem with a lot of the American church is there is little interest in learning history, of celebrating the cycle of Church life, and living out the faith on a daily basis. We're too often taken by fads and new ideas, and we mix nationalism with faith, when..as Christians we should be putting faith far ahead of country.

I have run into so many people who don't even know the names of the Reformers, much less what they wrote or said. And they certainly don't know why Justin the martyr was important, or how Augustine helped shape the Church. And by not knowing, they cheat themselves out of so much.

This is our family we're talking about...don't you want to know your family's history? Your family's heroes, thinkers, eccentrics and steadfast men in the breach? Your history helps you to understand who you are, which helps grounds you for the turbulence that may come.

-Beth Haynes Butler

************************************************************************

"“Evangelicalism is bankrupt, and by that, I don’t mean that it’s an evil thing,” Rev. Ed Gungor said.

“In a sense, evangelicalism is in Chapter 11. It’s not paying all the bills. ... No one wants to jettison the challenge of personal faith, but how can we reorganize to pay the bills?”

Gungor said a symptom of the problem is that evangelicals are orienting more and more to the secular culture. New Year’s Day, Memorial Day and the Fourth of July have become more important than Advent, Epiphany and Pentecost.

“In the end, we’re making people better Americans than Christians,” he said.

He said evangelical churches are more subject to secularism than liturgical churches because they are not connected to their historic core. American culture itself is ahistorical, he said, focused on the present and the future, and not the past.

“In some ways we have an Alzheimer’s church,” he said, a church that not only has forgotten its own past but also has lost its sense of identity."

Why don't we

Why don't we just let God judge the hearts and souls of mankind, and let our job be to love one another?

We can do so much more with love, compassion and understanding than we ever will with judgment and condemnation.

Stir the embers of my heart

When my trust is only dust
and my confidence in ashes,
stir the embers of my faith, Lord...

When I've lost the breath
to fan the cinders into flame,
stir the embers of my hope, Lord...

When it seems the fire's gone out 
and the coals are all grown cold,
stir the embers of my love, Lord..

Stir the embers of my heart
into a flame of love for you, Lord,
and for my family, my neighbor
and my enemy...

Amen.

(An old Celtic Prayer)

Lord of the day

Lord of the day

Lord of the sunrise,
we give thanks for the birth of each child,
for the freshly opening rose,
for all newborn animals.

Lord of the morning,
we give thanks for energy and enthusiasm,
for the challenges of a new day,
for your Resurrection power.

Lord of the noonday,
we give thanks for the ability to work,
for all we can achieve,
for unrealized potential.

Lord of the sunset,
we give thanks for those who have died
in the faith of Christ,
for all who have inspired us, for our loved ones.

Lord of the night,
we give thanks for rest and refreshment,
for all your love and care,
for the promise of a new day.

(An old Celtic Prayer)

You're not supposed to hate people.

Okay....simple Christian doctrine lesson....

You're not supposed to hate people.

Doesn't matter if you disagree with them. Doesn't matter if they vote differently, believe differently, love differently.

You can disagree with them....but you're not supposed to hate them.

That love thy neighbor thing.....kinda a huge deal.

The only thing more important, in the Christian faith, than loving your neighbor is loving God. And Christ, very God of very God, who from the cross, after being tortured and while dying an unbelievably horrible death, loved and forgave those who inflicted such things upon Him.

If He could do that....and if He could put Himself through such a death for the likes of us...fallen, faulty us.....if He could show us such love...

Then why can't we love our neighbors?

Every time someone who claims to follow Christ picks a certain group of people (be it by their politics, beliefs, ethnicity, sexuality, whatever) to hate, incite others to hate towards them, lies about them or defames them....they show that they don't have the love of God and the Holy Spirit within them.

And they make the work of those who do love Christ all the harder. For now that hatred has to be combated with love and overcome, and wounds have to be healed.

It's okay to disagree with people. But do so with gentleness, respect and love. Go out of your way to be kind to them, to uplift them, to raise them in prayer and befriend them. Then God's love will show in you, and Christ's compassion will flow through you to them.

But if you want to preach hatred....if you want to call names....if you want to try and make people into less than human....do it in your own name, not in Christ's.

If you are a Christian, you have to make a choice. You have to choose to do the work of the Kingdom of heaven, or immerse yourself in the worldly kingdom of man. You can't fully do both, your allegiance will always be to one or the other. How you spend your time defines which kingdom you serve; check your facebook feed for proof. 

Are you encouraging people to reach Christ, to be kind to one another, to help the helpless, to focus on what is good, noble and honorable? To be a good friend, a good family member, to share humor that is uplifting and ideas that inspire? Or do you spend your time-the space on your feed-on politics, gossip, un-necessary divisiveness, on crude humor, on bashing people, on glorifying greed? Whom do you glorify with your posts; it will be a reflection on where your loyalties and devotions are, on and offline.

 IF you post mainly about politics, getting rich or glorifying the wealthy, entertainment gossip, or bashing people, then please don't be a hypocrite and call yourself a follower of Jesus Christ. If your facebook feed doesn't reveal your love for Christ and for your fellow human being...what does the rest of your life say?

They have forgotten He is God.

There is a segment in Western Christianity that has made their image of God into a mixture of "cool best friend," wish granting genie, and a fuzzy feel good ball of warmth.

They have forgotten He is God.

Holy. Righteous. Creator and Judge.

And while He is a loving Father to His adopted children, that does not negate His Holiness. He is more than just Abba, He is also "my Lord and my God."

If we forget our reverence then we have forgotten what we are in comparison to all He is.

A Word from N.T. Wright

A Word from N.T. Wright

"We need to be constantly looking harder at the God of the Bible.  Otherwise we shall discover that gradually the picture we have of him gets domesticated, whittled down to something we can live with.  And gods that we live with comfortably are idols."

The Great Litany

The Great Litany

O God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth,
Have mercy upon us.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy upon us.

O God the Holy Ghost, Sanctifier of the faithful,
Have mercy upon us.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, one God,
Have mercy upon us.

Remember not, Lord Christ, our offenses, nor the offenses of our forefathers; neither reward us according to our sins. Spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and by thy mercy preserve us for ever.
Spare us, good Lord.

From all evil and wickedness; from sin; from the crafts and assaults of the devil; and from everlasting damnation,
Good Lord, deliver us.

From all blindness of heart; from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice; and from all want of charity,
Good Lord, deliver us.

From all inordinate and sinful affections; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil,
Good Lord, deliver us.

From all false doctrine, heresy, and schism; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word and commandment,
Good Lord, deliver us.

From lightning and tempest; from earthquake, fire, and flood; from plague, pestilence, and famine,
Good Lord, deliver us.

From all oppression, conspiracy, and rebellion; from violence, battle, and murder; and from dying suddenly and unprepared,
Good Lord, deliver us.

By the mystery of thy holy Incarnation; by thy holy Nativity and submission to the Law; by thy Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation,
Good Lord, deliver us.

By thine Agony and Bloody Sweat; by thy Cross and Passion; by thy precious Death and Burial; by thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension; and by the Coming of the Holy Ghost,
Good Lord, deliver us.

In all time of our tribulation; in all time of our prosperity; in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment,
Good Lord, deliver us.

We sinners do beseech thee to hear us, O Lord God; and that it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church Universal in the right way,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to illumine all bishops, priests, and deacons, with true knowledge and understanding of thy Word; and that both by their preaching and living, they may set it forth, and show it accordingly,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to bless and keep all thy people,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to send forth laborers into thy harvest, and to draw all mankind into thy kingdom,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to give to all people increase of grace to hear and receive thy Word, and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth all such as have erred, and are deceived,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to give us a heart to love and fear thee, and diligently to live after thy commandments,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee so to rule the hearts of thy servants, the President of the United States (or of this nation), and all others in authority, that they may do justice, and love mercy, and walk in the ways of truth,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to make wars to cease in all the world; to give to all nations unity, peace, and concord; and to bestow freedom upon all peoples,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to show thy pity upon all prisoners and captives, the homeless and the hungry, and all who are desolate and oppressed,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to give and preserve to our use the bountiful fruits of the earth, so that in due time all may enjoy them,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to inspire us, in our several callings, to do the work which thou givest us to do with singleness of heart as thy servants, and for the common good,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to preserve all who are in danger by reason of their labor or their travel,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to preserve, and provide for, all women in childbirth, young children and orphans, the widowed, and all whose homes are broken or torn by strife,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to visit the lonely; to strengthen all who suffer in mind, body, and spirit; and to comfort with thy presence those who are failing and infirm,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to support, help, and comfort all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to have mercy upon all mankind,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to give us true repentance; to forgive us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances; and to endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to thy holy Word,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to forgive our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to strengthen such as do stand; to comfort and help the weak-hearted; to raise up those who fall; and finally to beat down Satan under our feet,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

That it may please thee to grant to all the faithful departed eternal life and peace,
We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord.

Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us.
Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us.

O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
Have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world,
Grant us thy peace.

O Christ, hear us.
O Christ, hear us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

V. O Lord, let thy mercy be showed upon us;
R. As we do put our trust in thee.

Let us pray.

Almighty God, who hast promised to hear the petitions of those who ask in thy Son's Name: We beseech thee mercifully to incline thine ear to us who have now made our prayers and supplications unto thee; and grant that those things which we have asked faithfully according to thy will, may be obtained effectually, to the relief of our necessity, and to the setting forth of thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14

A Familiar Stranger

A Familiar Stranger

I saw a stranger today.
I put food for him
in the eating-place
And drink
in the drinking-place
And music
in the listening-place.

In the Holy name
of the Trinity
He blessed myself
and my family.
And the lark said in her warble
Often, often, often
Goes Christ
in the stranger's guise.

O, oft and oft and oft,
Goes Christ
in the stranger's guise.

Celtic Rune of Hospitality

May the blessing of light be on you - light without and light within.

May the blessing of light be on you - light without and light within. 
May the blessed sunlight shine on you like a great peat fire, 
so that stranger and friend may come and warm himself at it. 
And may light shine out of the two eyes of you, 
like a candle set in the window of a house, 
bidding the wanderer come in out of the storm.
And may the blessing of the rain be on you, 
may it beat upon your Spirit and wash it fair and clean,
and leave there a shining pool where the blue of Heaven shines,
and sometimes a star.
And may the blessing of the earth be on you,
soft under your feet as you pass along the roads,
soft under you as you lie out on it, tired at the end of day;
and may it rest easy over you when, at last, you lie out under it.
May it rest so lightly over you that your soul may be out from under it quickly; up and off and on its way to God.
And now may the Lord bless you, and bless you kindly. Amen.

Scottish Blessing

You are the peace of all things calm

You are the peace of all things calm
You are the place to hide from harm
You are the light that shines in dark
You are the heart's eternal spark
You are the door that's open wide
You are the guest who waits inside
You are the stranger at the door
You are the calling of the poor
You are my Lord and with me still
You are my love, keep me from ill
You are the light, the truth, the way
You are my Savior this very day.

Celtic oral tradition - 1st millennium

How much love you allow yourself to have for others is directly proportional to how effective you can be for God.

My status from late last night, I'm re-sharing it because I see so many who wear or flaunt the name of Christian, yet call people names, belittle them due to differences or demonize them. The key component for being a Christian is rooted in love; both of God and of neighbor. And *everyone* is your neighbor. Those people you disagree with....they're made in God's image too. Those people who hold a stance completely different that you.....they're made in God's image too.

And the only way to talk to someone and have them listen and take into consideration what you have to say is if they feel you are addressing them out of a place of love and respect.

**********************************************************************************************

"How much love you allow yourself to have for others is directly proportional to how effective you can be for God.

Whenever you close your love off from a group of people, be it for religious, political or social reasons, you have almost completely negated your ability to reach them for God.

Without love, your message carries no meaning to the lost and hurting. Without love, your words are just clanging cymbals.

Without love, your words and deeds are hollow.

Why do you hinder the work of the Holy Spirit so?

Thoughts to ponder and pray upon,

There is only "now."

There is only "now."

You only live, one moment at a time. One day at a time.

You have the choice, and the chance, to make the world a better place; by your words, by your deeds, by your love.

Don't tear down others needlessly. Don't waste time in being cruel. Don't disparage others just to find fault with them.

Don't lose yourself in the busyness of a barren life. Don't sell your happiness for temporal and shifting thing. Make your relationships matter. Make your words count.

Take journeys for the good of your heart and soul.

Help for no other reason than to be kind to someone else.

Lift people up. Too often others will kick them down.

Love beauty; whether in music, words, art, nature or the smile of those dearest to you.

Love kindness, and spread it as you go.

Love mercy and grace, and be generous with both.

Love laughter and joy and contentment; cultivate them.

Celebrate whimsy and fun; and search them out.

Live to make life better.

Thoughts to ponder,

Happy Father's Day.

14 years ago, I embarked upon the journey of marriage. I had met this wonderfully intelligent, kind, funny, attractive and good man and I had fallen...hard. Part of what drew me to him was his tender care of both his elderly mother and his sons from his first marriage. I saw what a good son he was, and how devoted. I saw what a good father he was, how dearly he loved his children. You can tell a lot about a man's heart and nature by how he treats those around him....

In all these years of marriage, we haven't been able to have children together, my health isn't up to it. But I watched him teach life lessons to his boys, and in the years that passed, others found their way into our home. Boys that needed direction, guidance, love and humor. Foster kids that became family, unofficial foster kids who became family, people from all over who gravitated to our home...due in large part to my husband's great heart. (That same heart that has rescued old dogs off the road, and darted across busy highways to save scared animals. Ask any of our furkids, he's a soft touch.)

Now I see him in his role as a minister, where he continues to guide, shepherd and love all those who come to him. He just assumed a sort of natural familial relationship with so many. He prays with them and for them, counsels them, laughs with them, cries with and for them.

So here is to my husband; a wonderful father to so many, and a blessing of a husband to me. May you be ever blessed by the Lord you serve with such love, as we are so blessed to have you in our lives. God bless you, Charles, my love and life. Happy Father's Day.

Your greatness is measured by your kindness

Your greatness is measured by your kindness; your education and intellect by your modesty; your ignorance is betrayed by your suspicions and prejudices, and your real caliber is measured by the consideration and tolerance you have for others.

~William J.H. Boetcker

You will have storms and trials in this life.

You will have storms and trials in this life.

You will. It is a given. It is part of life.

No matter how strong your prayers, no matter how devout your faith, or the faith of your family and friends. Trouble will come.

There will be times of illness, either for you, or your loved ones.

Your relationships will undergo stress. Your job or business will have times of strain. 

People will be unkind. Some will lie. Some will hurt you on purpose.

Things unforeseen will happen, and they will knock you for a loop.

Eventually, to you and to people you love, death will come.

Everyone, no matter what they do, or do not believe, will go through such.

Many of us will have family and friends who will stand with us in times of duress, but even they have their limits. Those loved ones cannot be with you during your darkest nights of the soul; those times when you are locked with fear and wrestling with terrors in the depths of your mind and soul. The storms that ravage us make us feel raw and adrift..exposed and afraid.

Where faith makes a difference is this; you are not in the storm alone. You have not been abandoned, you are not anchor-less and forlorn.

For the Lord is with you. The God who wept at the death of His friend holds you as you cry. The Lord who asked if the cup could be taken from Him in the garden stands beside you, taking the greater share of your fear and terror onto Himself. He is the co-suffering Savior, and He always carries the heavier part of whatever cross you bear at the moment. The Almighty, who set you apart from before He created the earth will not abandon you to the ravages of life's storms, no matter how harsh they get.

Just as He pulled Peter out of the storm swept sea, He grabs you. He holds you. He knows your terrors, your fears, your unspoken nightmares, and offers you His peace to conquer them. He doesn't promise that this life will be easy, or that you won't suffer, only that He shall never forsake you.

And that...when the end comes, He will claim you as His, and wipe every tear from your eyes. That no fear of this world can have claim on you, because He has bought you and named you.

Those storms come, my friends. But give thanks, as I am right now, that we don't go through those ordeals alone. Our God is a faithful God, and we don't take one step alone.

What comfort there is in His promises. Cling to them.

-Beth Haynes Butler

-Kierkegaard prayer

"Father in Heaven! You have loved us first, help us never to forget that You are love so that this sure conviction might triumph in our hearts over the seduction of the world, over the inquietude of the soul, over the anxiety for the future, over the fright of the past, over the distress of the moment. But grant also that this conviction might discipline our soul so that our heart might remain faithful and sincere in the love which we bear to all those whom You have commanded us to love as we love ourselves."
-Kierkegaard

There is a sacredness ...

There is a sacredness ...

In the waiting ...

In the uncertainty ....

In the unknown ...

In the tremulous fear when given over to prayer ...

In all things, when given to the Lord, the sacred can be found.

In all things, a test, a storm, blessings can come from trials.

In all things, we can bend our hearts and wait upon the Lord. 

And such waiting becomes sacred.

As someone with health challenges/chronic conditions, I think I will make this a daily prayer from now on:

As someone with health challenges/chronic conditions, I think I will make this a daily prayer from now on:

This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring
forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I
am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still,
help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it
patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly.
Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit
of Jesus. Amen.

For each person I encounter, see on tv, read about, is someone made in the image of God, and fashioned by Him. For His purposes, by His Hand, and in His Wisdom.

Being someone of relatively strong opinions (don't start laughing nowCharles), and an often firm mindset (stop snickering Charles)...it is too easy for me to be harsh when dealing with people that irritate me.

Say, if we're almost run into on the highway, and I mutter, "Idiot needs to watch where he is going." That sort of thing. I do it too often.

For I was reminded, in a moment of prayer and contemplation just now, that when I am harsh in my language against other people, it is an affront to my faith, and far worse, to God.

For each person I encounter, see on tv, read about, is someone made in the image of God, and fashioned by Him. For His purposes, by His Hand, and in His Wisdom.

So when I denigrate them with a name, or snarky humor, I am putting down the handiwork of God.

Who am I to do that?

That doesn't mean that I don't have the right to call actions into question; "That guy is driving dangerously," "That political action is horrid," "That wretched crime is awful,"....but for every action I call into judgement, I need to be spending an equal or greater share of time praying for the individual I'm singling out.

I need to spend more time seeing each person as intrinsically valuable, whether I agree with them or not, because God sees them as valuable. Because they have worth for simply being. Their actions may be wrong, but in many times, my actions have been wrong. They may show bad judgement, but I have too. And as God has forgiven me, lavished love and grace on me, showered me with mercy and kindness, so I need to do such to others.

God has been working on me (I fear it is going to be a very long process for Him, as I am quite flawed)....I used to bristle and mutter when I would see obviously racist propaganda around. I remember muttering to Charles about it one night, and my good husband said quietly to me, "Isn't that the person we are supposed to work on the most, and show God's love to the most?" That stuck in my mind, and I began praying and praying and praying some more on this, as it is quite a large pet peeve with me. And God changed my heart, at least somewhat...(remember, He's still working on me)....now when I see such horrid racist materials, instead of ranting, I pray, "God, will you please reconcile him to his neighbors."

That's all I can pray at this point, because my heart still isn't good enough to pray for more...but it is a start.

Lord, let me not mutter idle demeaning words of others. Let me not put them down as a person, no matter what I think of their actions; let me be able to separate the two from each other. Instead, Lord, let me be able to see each person as having great worth because they are fashioned by You, and loved by You. Let me see them with Your eyes, and love them with Your love. Guard my tongue, and my typing fingers, so that I do not make fun of, slander or belittle Your creations, but instead only try to edify, encourage, love, lift up and educate.

In the Name of Him who loved us first, Amen.

And Charles...I'm counting on you to help me remember this, and to live by it!

--Beth Haynes Butler

In the opening of Galatians, the Apostle Paul warns believers of the danger of listening to a false Gospel. He reminds us there is no other Gospel; only the true Gospel and, in his words, other "perverted Gospels."

Examine your Church and its teachings carefully. If it has added onto the Gospel taught by Christ and the original Apostles in their Epistles, as to what the means to salvation is, what the nature of God is (saying it is other than the Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), or claims to know the origin of God (for the Bible only teaches that God is eternal and ever was) then your "church" teaches a perverted Gospel that cannot save you.

Some "churches" teach you must do works to be saved; if you do "all you can, then God will step in and do the rest." That is a false teaching, for we can do nothing to save ourselves except believe in Christ and cling to the Cross. We do works later as Christians not to save ourselves, but out of love of God and our fellow man. Ephesians tells us we are saved by faith alone, and not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8)

Some "churches" teach that the Trinity is false, or that Christ was fully man and not divine until death. Remember, Christ is the "Word" and the Gospel of John teaches us that the Word was with God from the beginning, and all things were made through Him. (John 1:1-2)

Some "churches" teach that God's origin is known, that God is somehow finite, in that He has a beginning (some even claim to know a planet God lives on)...but if God is finite, then He is not God. The Bible teaches us God ever was, and is. (There are many verses on this, but 1 Timothy 1:17 describes God as immortal, and John 1:1 again tells us that from the beginning there was God.)

There are also churches and denominations, while attempting to hold onto the Gospel message, seek to make it exclusive to their branch of Christianity. Christ called His believers to be unified, yet we have scattered into many camps. Denominations do not hold the key to attaining eternal life, they only provide a method of worship one is comfortable with. The Gospel of Christ and the Cross provide salvation; what hymns you sing in what order, who preaches and how Sunday School is run is mere organizational form. Dogma and bylaws are not a substitute for the doctrine of the Gospel, and should not be allowed to make one church above another feel it has the key to heaven. Christ alone has the key.

Examine your Church against the Bible. Does it hold onto the precious Gospel of Jesus Christ? Does it preserve the rich heritage of Christian beliefs, creeds and faith? Yes, the Church has weathered its storms, with false teachers and apostate leadership causing splits and splintering along the way, but the Universal Church- the Body of believers that has existed since Christ established His Church- has been there for over 2000 years and is still going strong. That Church is found in believers of every denomination that holds Christ as the key to salvation. That Church holds precious the blood of its martyrs, the sermons of its saints, the wisdom of ages and the zest of new believers.

Hold onto the Gospel, and the love of Christ. That is all that is needed, it is enough for the soul to rest in, and to rejoice in.

-Beth Haynes Butler and Fr. Charles Butler