The story of the "Holy Stage"
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Growing up in a pretty conservative Presbyterian church, I remember a time when the elders of the church wouldn't let us go near the stage. The stage was too "holy" for us. The stage was pretty grand... it had these thrones... about 5 or 7 of them. The center one, the Reverand sat in, and the elders to his side. But the stage was way too holy for us youth kids to play drums and lead worship.
I was always sketical of that. I mean, it's just a wooden structure that's elevated and covered in carpet.
My dad is an elder at that church now... and I must say, things have changed. They took away all those "thrones" and the massive pulpit. The 1st generation members have drums in their worship now. No more choir. You could say it's more contemporary. Even the youth group uses it to worship now. But what happened to the "holiness"??? HAH! I was right! It wasn't anymore holy than the pews! OR... has the stage gotten less holy?
Discussing this with my coworker over lunch, I realized how much we all seperate what is holy and what is not according to our own personal devotion to God... and then impose it on others. How I have done that as well... and continue to do so.
Now this doesn't give free reign for you to go fill your life with debauchery and justify it as "for God has accepted me..." Rather, the key words are, "Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind."
Is getting tattoos a sin? That question is misleading. The question should actually read: Is the act of tattooing a sin? and Why am I getting a tattoo... is that motive sinful?
Lemme break it down some more. Is giving $20 to someone a sin? Before you jump up and say "NO"... The very act of giving someone $20 is not a sin... as a matter of fact, in most cases, it is an act of sacrifice for the benefit of the receiving individual. But if you are giving someone $20 to buy some crack for you guys to share, then we can clearly say, the motive is quite sinful.
You can go deeper... like, is smoking crack a sin? But we won't. We will end the "non-legalism" there... till next time.
I was always sketical of that. I mean, it's just a wooden structure that's elevated and covered in carpet.
My dad is an elder at that church now... and I must say, things have changed. They took away all those "thrones" and the massive pulpit. The 1st generation members have drums in their worship now. No more choir. You could say it's more contemporary. Even the youth group uses it to worship now. But what happened to the "holiness"??? HAH! I was right! It wasn't anymore holy than the pews! OR... has the stage gotten less holy?
Discussing this with my coworker over lunch, I realized how much we all seperate what is holy and what is not according to our own personal devotion to God... and then impose it on others. How I have done that as well... and continue to do so.
¹Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. ²One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. ³The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. &sup4;Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
&sup5;One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. &sup6;He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.--Romans 14:1-6
Now this doesn't give free reign for you to go fill your life with debauchery and justify it as "for God has accepted me..." Rather, the key words are, "Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind."
Is getting tattoos a sin? That question is misleading. The question should actually read: Is the act of tattooing a sin? and Why am I getting a tattoo... is that motive sinful?
Lemme break it down some more. Is giving $20 to someone a sin? Before you jump up and say "NO"... The very act of giving someone $20 is not a sin... as a matter of fact, in most cases, it is an act of sacrifice for the benefit of the receiving individual. But if you are giving someone $20 to buy some crack for you guys to share, then we can clearly say, the motive is quite sinful.
You can go deeper... like, is smoking crack a sin? But we won't. We will end the "non-legalism" there... till next time.
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