Church of Christ

By now, I know all of you have heard about the wife who confessed to murdering her husband who was a Church of Christ minister in Selmer, Tennessee. I am not sure, however, if you all saw or read about what happened on the Nancy Grace show on CNN not long after this murder took place.

Basically, Nancy Grace, who hosts a news talk show on CNN at 7:00PM CT, had a gentleman on her show on March 27 to talk about exactly what the Church of Christ is. The man's name was Tom Rukala and he is a Baptist missionary. Why this man was chosen and not a "member" of the Church of Christ or an expert on religions, I do not know. I will let you read the unedited transcript below of what happened when Nancy Grace and Tom Rukala began discussing the Church of Christ.

"NANCY GRACE: I want to go to pastor Tom Rukala, joining us tonight, a special guest, a Baptist minister. I've been researching the Church of Christ. I don't know that much about it. What can you tell me?

PASTOR TOM RUKALA, BAPTIST PASTOR: Well, the Church of Christ is a relatively new church. It was started about 150 years ago by Alexander Campbell (ph). And it's, unfortunately, a very legalistic sect, and they tend to use methods of intimidation and pressure tactics. They claim that they are the only ones going to heaven, and all other people are condemned to hell. So in case...

GRACE: Uh-oh, I'm in trouble. But I already knew that.

(LAUGHTER)

GRACE: Now, wait a minute. What more can you tell me?

RUKALA: Well, they claim that if you're not baptized by one of their ministers, that you're doomed to hell, even if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, which, of course, breaks completely from the traditional Christian view that all those who call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved because we're saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who died for our sins and rose again. For the Church of Christ folks, that's not enough. You have to be a member of their narrow sect. It's a very exclusive group. And if you're not a member of their sect, you're condemned.

GRACE: You know, Pastor, you keep saying "sect." "Sect." You make it sound like a cult.

RUKALA: It kind of is a borderline cult, unfortunately. I don't want to make it out to be some kind of Hare Krishna group, but it has cult-like characteristics and...

GRACE: In what sense?

RUKALA: Well, in the sense of the exclusivism, the attitude that they are the only ones who know the truth. The tactics that they use are sometimes just -- not only un-biblical but unethical, and they can be very ungracious, unfortunately."

Pretty shocking isn't it? I am guessing you disagree with just about everything that is said above. I hope you do.

Well, what I could write about is the whole unity amongst believers thing, I could write about John 17 (one of the coolest books in the Bible) and how Jesus wanted all believers to be as one, I could write about how strange it is that a Baptist called our denomination unfortunately legalistic when Baptists themselves have several bodies of governance such as the Southern Baptist Convention or the National Baptist Convention. I could write about any of those things. But I'm not.

What I want to write about has been on my heart for a long time. I think I'll start with a question. Are you tired of people out there speaking for you as a Christian and telling the "truth" when it is so far from what you really believe? I am.

I am tired of Tom Rukala telling the world through CNN that church of christ is a sect and that we think that we are the only ones going to heaven.

I am tired of Pat Robertson saying things to America like, "You say you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing. Nonsense. I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist. I can love the people who hold false opinions but I don't have to be nice to them."

I am tired of the Reverand Jerry Falwell saying things to America like, "If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being."

If you've seen the Rob Bell video "Bullhorn," I am tired of the man on the street with the bullhorn yelling to everyone who walks by that they are condemned to hell if they don't accept Jesus today.

But what can I do about it? I don't have a TV show. I don't have a ton of money or funding by Christian organizations. I don't even own a bullhorn.

The conclusion I have come to is pretty simple. If I am tired of everyone else speaking for me, then it's time for me to speak; and speak boldly.

If you look through just the book of Acts, it mentions Paul speaking or having spoke boldy about the message of Christ seven times. Seems like a lot of times to use that phrase in just 28 chapters. That is an example I need to follow. Will I ever be on TV? Probably not. Will I ever make enough money that I become important enough that people want to listen to me? Probably not. But I sure know people that are searching for the truth. So do you.

So I challenge myself and I challenge you to speak. Don't let voices of false teachers be wrongly portrayed across this country as the truth. It has happened for too long and it's time for a change.

At the Line of Departure seminar we went to in February, Brian Mashburn said something I will never forget. He said that the sign that is outside our church building is an incredibly bold one. It says "Church of Christ." Is that who we are? Is it false advertising? Do we live and speak what that sign says?

Speak love -- boldly.

Speak Jesus -- boldly.

Speak truth -- boldly.

RK


Sources: www.cnn.com, http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/quotes/foulwell.htm, http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/7027/patrobertson.html, www.biblegateway.com

Wellspring suggestions

Mandy had a great idea yesterday to set up a specific post where you all can come in and suggest songs that you want to sing or things you would like to do at the Wellspring (Wednesday nights at 7:45 PM in the portable building). So, if you want to comment to this post and suggest some songs or other ideas, simply click on the "Comments" link at the bottom of this post and leave your ideas. Some people have said they can't leave a comment because you have to sign in. All you have to do is either click on "Other" or "Anonymous" and you can leave a comment without having a Blogger sign-in.

Every couple of weeks, I will repost this so you can make new suggestions, and I will send them to Matt and Mark every week.

Have a great week!

RK

I am also working on getting a calendar on this site that can be updated with our events, birthdays, etc. If anyone knows where I can find this online, please let me know by leaving a comment or emailing me: ryankirksey@yahoo.com.

Highlights

Here are the highlights from this week's email. Let me know if you have any questions or ideas/suggestions about any of these. Remember this old school kids' magazine?

1. Both Life Groups are dismissing this Sunday night for Easter, but will resume next Sunday night with the normal schedule. More information will be available next week as to where we will be having groups.

2. The Good Friday service at First Colony that Bekki Kearns mentioned to us is tonight. For more information about it, visit http://www.firstcolonychurch.org/detail.asp?xt=calendar&id=527.

3. We are only two weeks away from the next Habitat for Humanity on April 29. More info will be available next Sunday, but it will be a similar plan to last time with everyone trying to meet at the church beforehand. Kami will correct me if I am wrong, but I believe each person has to bring a lunch this time. But I have been wrong before...

4. Also, Dinner 4 Four is May 6. A lot of you have not been able to come to one of these in the past. It really is a great way to get to know people and have people see the real you (just ask Terry). We hope everyone can join us that night at the church.

5. We are still planning on an Astros game either Sunday May 14 or Sunday May 21. We will let you know soon when the best day is.

Good luck egg hunting....

RK

A jury of your peers

Last week, I was called to jury duty downtown. While a bit hard on my schedule, I never doubted going to jury duty (we live in a county where only 20% of people show up for jury dury!), but hoped I would not be selected as I had a very busy week and had things that needed to be done at work and home. I had been called once before but was not selected, and found myself hoping that would be my fate this time.

Sure enough, I was selected to be on a jury. And this was not your run-of-the-mill civil suit or contract dispute. This was a criminal case; an aggravated robbery charge. As the guilt/innocence part of the trial went on all day Tuesday, it became evident that this 36 year old man was guilty of holding a 21-year old girl up with a gun. During the punishment hearing, we learned about this man's history and his three prior felonies and other misdemeanors thrown in. With that many felonies, the bookends of time served in jail are from 25 to 99 years. We ended up giving him 45 years after the State had asked for 60.

As I left after it was all over on Wednesday and was thinking about how I just took 45 years of a man's life away, I began to think about the obvious analogies to God not ever judging us that way, and how he never says to us, "well, that's four lies, ten homeless people you ignored and twice you got drunk - sorry, it's eternal gnashing of teeth for you." I thanked God for how He treats me so differently than that and for His unfailing grace.

But then I began to think about something else. When I first walked into the courtroom, I already knew it was an aggravated robbery case. When I saw the guy sitting across from us, noticed his expression, and looked at his dress, my first thought was: "guilty."

Thinking about this first, yet unfounded, impression, I began to wonder, "do we do that same thing spiritually?" Think about it. How many people do you know or see all the time where you think, "there is no reason for me to even try to share Jesus with them. It's hopeless. I might as well focus my energy somewhere else." We judge people spiritually all the time, don't we? I do. I size them up, look at their past, disect their attitude, and decide whether or not to share my knowledge of Christ with them.

Don't we drift towards those that we feel we could effectively persuade? The lovable, the kind, even the popular. Is this the example of Jesus? Let's look:

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." - Luke 6:37-38 NIV

or...

"Stop judging others, and you will not be judged. Stop criticizing others, or it will all come back on you. If you forgive others, you will be forgiven. If you give, you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use in giving--large or small--it will be used to measure what is given back to you." - Luke 6:37-38 NLT

The part that strikes me the most is where He says "give, and it will be given to you." If we give Christ, and give Him freely, without judging, we will receive Him in return. And verse 38 tells me that the gift of Christ will be so big and so unbelievable that it will have to be pressed down and smashed together to have enough room for it all. What an incredible thing to have too much of!

While it was stressful and a struggle for me to fulfill my civic duty, and judge a fellow man for his actions, I just have to hope the right thing was done. As for my spiritual duty? The example of Jesus is enough for me.

RK


As always, I appreciate you reading and appreciate your feedback just the same. I look forward to seeing everyone again real soon.

I didn't forget about you...

Apologies for the lack of updates and lack of email this week. I was selected for jury duty this week and served three days downtown - an experience that I will write about within a day or two. I just wanted to give everyone a quick run-down of the info I know for this weekend:

1. We WILL be moving to room 212 for class this week after all. We will have signs up and everything, but the room is just off of the welcome center across from the bathrooms.

2. Life Groups resume to normal schedule this week. More info about locations will be available Sunday morning.

Dates for upcoming events:
April 21-22 - youth group small group leaders' retreat
April 29 - Habitat for Humanity
May 6 - Dinner 4 Four
May 14 or May 21 - Young Adults trip to Astros game

And in case anyone is interested, current fantasy baseball standings have Jason and Steven pulling up the rear.

See you all Sunday,
RK