This post involves use of a word not generally spoken in a chapel. If you are easily offended, you might not want to proceed with this one.
So, this past Sunday, I was preaching on grace and in doing research for the sermon, came across an idea employed by Max Lucado, that involves offering a dollar at the end of my sermon. As Lucado describes, it took a minute, but eventually someone came up to take the dollar. I then went into the application asking why others didn't take it. The obvious application is that grace is also a free gift that many will not accept. I got typical responses, many direct quotes from In the Grip of Grace. Then a guy at the back gave a different answer (not covered in the book) about why he didn't go up.
We'll call him Joseph (because that's his name) and he said, "Because it takes balls to go up there."
While I translated back that it takes "courage" to come to the front, something in me was pleased that Joseph answered as he had. When we arrived at this corps (church), one of the most important tasks in front of us was returning dignity and integrity to the worship services, but it was also to return, I think, a sense of a community of worship--that this was not just another place to get a free meal in the city, but that we were about worshiping God together regardless of our background. That Joseph wanted to contribute to the discussion and felt comfortable to comment in his own, honest way was far more important to me in the moment than the fact that he let a word slip that "wasn't a church word." He was sincere and meant no harm.
Sometimes, I think we get hung up on standards for behavior and the ways of worship to an extent that we can lose sight of what an honest heart speaking honestly to the community is really worth.
But it also raises a question for me. What crosses the line for you? What "can't happen in the chapel?" I had an interesting discussion with my How-to-do-church class at Project 1:17 on this yesterday. A dollar for your thoughts.
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I was once playing a game at the corps with a few people. One was a new Christian. In missing her answer in Trivial Pursuit, she said "Oh h---!" The other soldier and I looked at each other and passed a brief knowing look. Nothing was said about her slip.
Five minutes later, she realized what she had said and blushed bright red. No big deal- she was a Christian for maybe a week before that happened. We accepted her for who she was and who she was becomming.
Would I say that phrase in church? No- I didn't even write it here! But we've got to give some room for new Christians and those not yet Christian without condemning them.
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