Glenn Boyd's Blog

Sounds un-American, doesn’t it.

One of our church leaders is retired military.  He and his family lived many years in England, and there was only one “C of C” congregation for many miles around.  I’ve heard him comment several times about the diversity that existed in the congregation – diversity in theology, convictions, opinions, practices, etc.  As he’s said, “We had to get along; we had no choice.”

I’ve often been asked, “Is denominationalism (the existence of so many churches in most communities) wrong?”  Of course it is!  Wait!  Don’t “X” me!  I’m not saying “my” church is the only true church and all others are wrong.  I’m including the church I belong to (Churches of Christ) in the above statement.  The divisiveness that is Christianity in America is one of the main reasons why so many in our society reject the Christian faith.

Why do you think all these churches exist?  Because people either could not get along or they disagreed theologically to the extent that they could not worship their Creator in the same building.  How could that not be wrong?  There are individual congregations that are organized for convenience sake (travel time, etc.), but that is the exception rather than the rule as to the existence of multiple churches in most towns.  (A community of 15,000 I lived in for 20 years had 4 “CofC”s, not counting small house churches, plus dozens of other “brands”.)

“But the New Testament doesn’t condemn denominationalism.”  Of course it doesn’t; it didn’t exist in the first century, when the church came into existence, and probably could not be conceived of in the minds of the New Testament writers.  As the church spread throughout the Roman Empire and other regions, there were Jewish, pagan, and Christian “congregations” in most towns.  For Christians, you were either in the “church” or you weren’t.  If you had disagreements, you either worked them out or you left the church.  There were no other churches to move to that would suit you better.

Why do you think so much space in the New Testament letters is dedicated to in-Christ relationships – treating each other “like Christ” and working out problems and disagreements?  The people these letters were written to had no choice!  And it was not that they hadn’t had enough time to create other churches that would ”suit their taste”; there was only one church – the church Jesus died to create.  In larger communitiies there might be multiple sites where Christians would meet – house churches – but there were not different churches.  You didn’t leave the house church on the south side of town to attend the house church on the north side of town because you didn’t like the fact that the south side house church clapped when they sang!  Come on, people!  Read your Bibles!

Because a situation exists today that did not exist when the New Testament was written, I suppose it would be difficult to condemn the existence of multiple churches and people jumping from one to another.  But what can be addressed with certainty are the attitudes that have created such a confusing picture of the Christian faith, especially in our society.  If we would be more humble, understanding of others, committed to the truth that is Scripture rather than treating it as a book of suggestions, more focused on others becoming Christians than being able to “do church the right (i.e. my) way”, committed to helping fellow travelers successfully finish the journey that is life, I think much of this mess we see in the Christian community would go away.

Ecumenism (unifying the Christian community) has failed.  We can call each other “brother”/”sister”, but what divides us remains.  One or two combined efforts a year – Community Thanksgiving Service, Community Singing, etc. – is not unity.  We are still divided, our people still jump from one church to another (and we gladly welcome them as evidence that “our way” is better), and we feel no need to put forth every effort possible to work out our differences for the sake of Jesus’ cause.  And Jesus’ prayer goes unheeded in our world today.

Father, may they all be one as you are in me and I am in you; may they be in us, for by this unity the world will believe that you sent me. (John 17:21  “The Voice”)

“Lord God, give me the courage and the heart to preach and practice unity among believers, beginning with those I minister to each day.  Amen.”

Now to the God who can do so many awe-inspiring things, immeasurable things, things greater than we ever could ask or imagine through the power at work in us, to him be all glory in the church and in Jesus Christ, from this generation to the next, forever and ever.  Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21  “The Voice”)

Blessings.

Glenn

May 17, 2010

Eugene is my friend.

Let me share with you what a guy is saying when he says, “_____ is my friend.”  He may be saying, “I’ve known _____ a long time.”  Or he may be saying, “_____ is my drinking (coffee, etc) buddy.”  Or, “We’re in the Rotary Club together,”

And some men - not all, probably not most – are saying, “I can count on _____ if I need something, if I’m experiencing hardship or tragedy or loss, and he can count on me.”  Such friends don’t make a big deal about their relationship.  They don’t need to share every little detail of life, they don’t meet once a week to catch up, they don’t usually remember or acknowlege each other’s birthday or anniversary or divorce date.  They may not be close to each other’s mate or children.  The relationship is special, deep, constant, assured, but they don’t talk about it in such terms.  It’s just there…and they both know it.

Eugene is that friend to me.

We don’t see each other very often anymore.  Three hundred miles of Texas separate us.  We go fishing a couple of times a year, spend a weekend together in the spring with some other friends and buddies, and see each other maybe twice more each year.  “How do you stay friends?”  Guys don’t need real friendships constantly reinforced; we don’t need constant reassurance that “you still care about me.”  If two guys are friends, they’re friends…period.  And unless something major happens (and I mean MAJOR!) to blow it up, they’ll stay friends – they’ll be there for each other when needed.

Eugene and I are both quiet by nature.  When it’s just the two of us, not a lot is said.  Talk is not needed.  We don’t need to fill in the details of what’s been happening in each other’s lives since the last time.  And talk is not usually about us; we just talk.  When we’re fishing, little is said.  We’re fishing…together.  That’s all that is important.

Eugene is my friend.

I’m very blessed in that I have other friends, like Eugene.  Wes and Steve are my friends.  Other such friendships are developing, but guys don’t/won’t have too many such friends.  It’s just not in our nature.  But the friends we have are rock solid.

Why am I so fortunate to have such friends?  I really believe, for me personally, it began with what we have in common in Christ Jesus.  We all used to go to the same church, and we did so for a long time.  We’ve shared much – good and bad – in that church relationship.  Jesus is our friend, and he holds us together.

If any guys ever read this, perhaps this says something to us about a relationship with Jesus.  I don’t say this with any sexist underpinnings, but religion has become too “feminized” for most guys.  It’s too much about “sharing your feelings” (and I believe in sharing; our church has a small group ministry for that very purpose), about showing your emotions, about being “in touch” with your inner self.  Most guys don’t go for that kind of stuff.  Now, understand that some of that is important, and guys need to “open up” from time to time to help themselves and others in their spiritual journeys.  But we don’t need much of that.  For us it’s about knowing that our “Friend” is always there.  I don’t mean that we take Him for granted, and just want Him to hang around for when we need Him.  But we don’t have to spend hours each week “spilling our guts,” to Him or others; we know He already knows what’s in our “gut” and, hopefully, we have those “friends” in our lives we can share with when we need to.  And we need to be willing to allow others to “spill” to us.

Eugene is my friend.

Jesus is my friend.

I hope you have such friends.

Divine blessings for you.

Glenn

Yes, I know, a blog is to be more like a public  ”diary” rather than just another place to publish one’s attempts at sermonical (I’m not sure that’s a word) oratory.  I’m sorry; it’s about all I know how to do!  When I write, it comes out like a sermon.  I’ve got to work on that.

So, did anything happen in my life the last couple of days worthy of sharing with you?  Why yes, I have it!  I joined “Facebook” yesterday!  I had resisted, but finally gave in.  I don’t even know how to navigate it yet, but I’m there.  Debbie, my wife, is on “Facebook,” so maybe she’ll show me how to communicate and join all my “friends” there.

Two things I find fascinating about “Facebook.”  First, how do people immediately know you’ve signed up?!!!  That drives me crazy!  Within 10 minutes of establishing an account, I had all these people wanting to be my “friend.”  How did they know?  If someone can explain this to me, I would very much appreciate it, because right now it kind of freaks me out.

Here’s the second thing: Did you know that 175 million people log on to “Facebook” every day?!  Does that say anything to you?  It says volumes to me.  It says that people need friends…as in, they’re lacking friends.  Doing it on “Facebook” (Do I have to do that in quotes everytime?) is a poor substitute for face-to-face friends, but it beats what most people have in this world, don’t you think? 

Anyway, I’m looking forward to “catching up” with what’s going on in the lives of folks who have been/are a part of  my life.  I’m sure they will be “crawling out of the woodwork” to be my “friend”:  people I went to high school with, people whom I ministered to many years ago, guys in my Sunset class, people I’d just as soon not hear from (insert smile here), etc.  It’s a slow process, but I’m slowly catching up in the world of technology.

But I refuse to “twitter”!

At least for the time being.

Heavenly blessings on you.

Glenn

The Day After

The Easter Bunny is back in his hole.  Easter baskets, plastic eggs, and fake grass are in the closet.  (Actually, we’ll be picking up “grass” for several days.)  We’re back to work and school after a long weekend.  Spring is “sprung” and all is well.

Or is it?

Perhaps even more than the Christmas holiday season, few, I believe, seriously consider the ramifications of the Easter event.  Some see it only as an extra day off from work or school, a time to go to the lake or take a trip.  Even many Christ-followers seem to “lose Easter” in Easter egg hunts, visits to family, and holiday meals.

Jesus Christ has been resurrected from the dead!  Wow!(I refused to use the much overused, diluted  ”awesome”.)  Could there be any historical event more significant, more life-altering, than that?  Christians place great emphasis on the death of Jesus, as well we should.  “By his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5  NIV)  “While we were wasting our lives in sin, God revealed his powerful love to us in a tangible way – Jesus died for us.  As a result, the blood of Jesus has made us right with God.” (Romans 5:8-9  “The Voice”)  The importance of Jesus’ substitutionary death cannot be overstated.

But, “if Jesus has not been raised from the dead, then our faith is worth less than yesterday’s garbage, we are all doomed in our sins, and all the dearly departed who trusted in Christ are left decaying in the ground.  If what we have hoped for in Christ doesn’t take us beyond this life, then we are world-class fools, deserving everyone’s pity.” (1 Corinthians 15:17-19  “The Voice”)

We wear crosses around our necks to point to the importance of Jesus’ death.  I wish someone would fashion “empty tomb” jewelry!  For if Jesus was not resurrected, all the suffering and humiliation and torture he endured was no more significant than what the two petty thieves crucified with him endured.

Do you believe Jesus was raised from the dead?  If so, what affect has it had on your life?  The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are intended to be life-changing.  How?

If Jesus is the resurrected Lord, then he’s returning some day.  If one is true, the other must be true.  When he returns, eternity will begin and our eternal destinies will be forever set.  We don’t just serve a risen Savior, we anticipate a coming again Lord!  If he is “Lord,” then he has sovereign control over our lives – our lives are to be fashioned by his lifestyle, by his teachings.  We are to look like Jesus, talk like Jesus, “walk” like Jesus.  The return of the resurrected Lord does not just give me confidence concerning the future; it impacts my life today!  If my faith in Jesus is not evident in a “born again” lifestyle, perhaps I should not look to his return with such confidence.

When the first followers of Jesus were fully convinced that he had been resurrected, it forever changed them.  Not only were they willing to live for him, they were willing to die for him!  Read their words in the New Testament book we call “Acts” – you’ll see there the importance they placed on the resurrection of Jesus.  Yes, we are forgiven by his blood, but our hope – present and future – is in a risen Savior!  Praise God!  The apostle Peter gave the first post-crucifixion/resurrection testimony to Jesus’ resurrection:  “God has raised Jesus from the dead, and we have seen him with our own eyes.  Jesus has been lifted to the right hand of God – the highest place of authority and power.  God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ – this same Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:32, 33, 36  “The Voice” [GB paraphrased])

Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  If you believe it – if you really believe it – you have to do something with it.  It cannot be something you “celebrate” once a year…or even every Sunday.  It must impact your life today.  Jesus expects it.  The people he places in your path every day need to see that impact on your life; some of them need to know that Jesus is alive and is returning some day.  Show them by your life.  Celebrate “Easter” today, and every day.

Glenn

P.S.: Life is a blur sometimes, isn’t it.  I will earnestly endeavor to update this page more often, just in case there are some folks who might actually read it.  I’d love to hear from you, even if it’s just an acknowledgement that you visited.  May the Lord bless you today.  GB

I think I must have the “gift of gab” when it comes to writing.  When creating sermons, bulletin articles, etc., my problem is usually not “What do I write?” but “What do I leave out?”  When I get started, it’s hard to stop – a fact my church family can readily attest to.  Such is the nature of my work.  Writing or speaking are about the only avenues I have of sharing what I learn through study and reading and meditation, and those opportunities are too infrequent and brief.

Such is the nature of God’s Book.  I am amazed at how much I still learn, even after almost 35 years of intense study and ministry.  The Book contains the knowledge of God – not just about God but what God knows and seeks to convey to humanity.  Having one question answered leads to more questions and greater understanding.  Life circumstances change, and change who we are, requiring additional divine knowledge and wisdom.  As life changes, as we change, we notice Scripture wisdom we perhaps had not seen before.  Years and maturity cause us to reflect differently on life, which causes a renewed reflection on Scripture.  The Book is a never-ending supply of insight and wisdom.

Attitude is key to learning, no matter what the subject.  It’s extremely important when studying God’s Word.  If I study to prove a point, to affirm a position, to seek approval of a chosen action, chances are I won’t learn anything, at least what I really need to know.  If my mind is not open, if my heart is not pure, if I’m not willing to put into action what I learn without regard for the cost to me personally, the great truths I so desperately need will slip right past me.

The knowledge leaders of the Jews when Jesus walked among us struggled in this area.  They considered their knowledge of the law complete, and their interpretation of it in relation to everyday life unquestionable.   So when Jesus came along pointing out a few things they might have missed or misunderstood, he was summarily dismissed as a heretic.  Jesus said, “You scour through the Scriptures, hoping that you will find eternal life among a pile of scrolls.  What you don’t seem to understand is that the Scriptures point to me.  Here I am with you, and still you reject the truth contained in the law and prophets by refusing to come to me so that you can have life.” (John 5:39-40  “The Voice”)  How could diligent students of the Word not see that Jesus was the physical fulfillment of the oft-promised and long-anticipated Messiah?  I guess the same way we don’t always see (or perhaps we ignore) the warnings of Scripture about certain lifestyle choices, and that our first priority in life is seeking the heavenly kingdom while trusting in God to provide the other stuff we need and being content with that.  Attitude is a key.

My “gift of gab” would enable me to spend much more of your time talking about the implications of the above text, but I think I’ll close and leave it up to you to make application to your own life experience.  That’s what true learning is all about, isn’t it?

As you read/study/meditate/hear God’s Word, remember that “all of Scripture is God-breathed; in its inspired voice, we hear useful teaching, rebuke, correction, instruction, and training for a life that is right so that God’s people may be up to the task ahead and have all we need to accomplish every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17  “The Voice”)

I look forward to hearing from you.

Blessings,

Glenn

I don’t really consider myself an “ol’ fogey” kind of guy, but I am slow at times in catching up with technology.  In fact, I’ve about given up catching up. (Fascinating, isn’t it, how many different ways you can use the word “up”.)  Everytime I learn something new, a new technology bursts on the scene to take its place.

I’ve wanted to create a blog space for some time, but, of course, didn’t have the technical know-how to do so.  At the church where I minister, we are richly blessed to have two brothers who are techno-whizzes: Pete and Rodney.  We are able to offer some amazing things to our church family and others because of these two guys.  I’m grateful to Rodney for creating this blog space for my use.

One of my mentors in faith and preaching, the late Richard Rogers, once said, “I’ve reached an age when I have things to say, and I’m going to say them.” (not an exact quote)  I believe I’ve reached that point in my life; thus the existence of this blog.  I don’t say that arrogantly.  I’m sure I don’t have anything to say that hasn’t been said before, but each person’s life experiences make his/her perspective unique.  I hope to share thoughts on life, faith, God, etc. that will bless those who read.  I hope to have a new posting at least once a week.  I welcome your comments.

I wondered what I would write about in this first posting.  Unfortunately, it is with pain that I write about the devastating earthquake in Haiti.  Like most of you, I’ve read the stories and seen the pictures of the destruction in that impoverished nation.  It is shocking, and our observation from afar cannot compare, I’m sure, with the pain, the loss of life, the suffering, the sense of despair and hopelessness of the people there.

Aid from around the world is pouring in.  People are praying.  Skilled workers are arriving to aid with the recovering of survivors and bodies.  Medical personnel will assist survivors.  Money will provide food and water.  The world is responding.  It always does.

The question has been asked, “How much should we help?”  The people of Haiti are for the most part poor, uneducated, and lacking job skills of any kind.  Unemployment is 50%…before the quake.  The government is weak and corrupt, and is now in disarray with many government buildings destroyed and government officials dead, and is unable to deal with such a crisis.

Should we help?  Of course we should.  Should Haiti continue to exist as a nation?  That’s up to politicians to decide.  The people are the only thing that’s important at this point.  That’s all that ever really matters.  Material things come and go, taken away by earthquakes, fires, floods and other natural disasters.  The people are the one constant. 

People matter to God.  Of course we should help the people.  Jesus would, and that’s all the motivation I need.

Until next time, “Love each other deeply and fully.  Remember the ways that Jesus loves you, and demonstrate your love for others in the same ways.  Everyone will know that you are Jesus-followers if you demonstrate Jesus-love to others.” (John 13:34-35  “The Voice” [GB paraphrase])

Glenn