Things to Remember

Every culture has its ceremonies and traditions. We even choose to keep symbols of those ceremonies with us for years. We preserve wedding gowns and flowers, keep birthday cards or funeral cards. Those things remind us of the commitments we make and the loves we may have lost. Each time we come across the necklace worn on that first date, or our high school yearbook (yikes!), or her favorite picture of you, or that one ornament Mom always saved for last on the tree, memories and emotions swirl about in a torrent of days past. But symbols and ceremonies are just that. They are not the essence of the commitment, or the relationship, or even the memories themselves. They are reminders, tangibles to help us remain a little closer to the intangible.

Religions throughout the world have remembrances and symbols of remembrance. The Christian faith does as well. But unlike religion, the Christian faith understands none of those ceremonies or relics have any power to save us from what really troubles each and everyone of us -- sin. And though faith in Jesus Christ has a life-altering result, it is not propagated by changing our lives at all. The observances and Ebeneezers, the crosses we wear, or the baptismal certificate we cherish are reminders of the grace and mercy we encounter daily and, as such, can be catalysts to change.

For instance, a tithe, when multiplied and blessed by God, feeds those who are unable to feed themselves -- for a meal, for a week, for months on end. A tithe can clothe others, keep the lights on at the church or at the home of someone in the community; a tithe can pay the salary of a worship leader who just lost his second job. A tithe can put fuel in the car of a guest speaker, traveling from out of town. Giving a tithe -- despite the paycheck which may have shown up a little on the lean side this week -- can be the proving ground upon which God further changes a heart. A tithe can be the means by which God allows me to serve others by serving Him.

The Bible itself is not some coffee table decoration that mystically brings blessing to our home. When opened and read, as it should be, it is the primary way in which God explicitly reveals Himself to everyone. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 declares:

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

We learn; we correct ourselves and others -- in love, underscoring the need of every human being for a holy God and His work of grace. We discover and form the habits that characterize a life transformed by the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Bible study equips us in the purposes for which we were called. It is instrumental in the Holy Spirit's sanctifying work, revealing His truth and providing direction so we may know and desire change as the Bible describes it. And the cover of my Bible has handy-dandy zippered pouches, perfect for storing gum to share with others, a few extra dollars for any special needs I am led to meet, an extra pen, a highlighter, Chapstick (gotta have Chapstick stashed everywhere!), and White Out for my mistakes -- just the ones on paper.

Church is essential. I don't care, I don't care. Whatever you've heard. Whatever you surmise. Whatever your past experience. Whatever your uncle's past experience. Whoever you know or think you know. You MUST...go...to...church. If you want to be fed, if you want to grow, if you want to be surrounded by love in your worst times as well as on your best days; if you have ever needed anyone for anything -- and you have -- remember the dress you couldn't get zippered, or the jar you couldn't open, or the teenie-tiny hair tie you couldn't fit around Barbie's hair with your big sheet metal worker fingers, or the accounts statement you just couldn't seem to decipher, or the recipe that flopped every time you made it? Well, you must go to church! I was an island FOR YEARS. I taught my children to be islands. I was very good at it, and still could be today, but I was called -- as all Christians are -- to be in fellowship with and minister to people. And I would never want to be an island EVER again. I have been so blessed -- by the broken as well as the whole, by the lost as well as the found, by those I've struggled along with as well as those I've struggled because of; by the prayers of those desperate for healing, by the surrender of those at the height of their careers, by the toil of those who I believe need to be served, by strangers willing to love others for their singularity of worship rather than dismiss others because of their excess of glaring differences. And it is my deepest of desires and my offering to bless others as well. The best place to get started is in a pew.

None of these things, in and of themselves, identifies me as being a Christian. And they don't make me super-spiritual or good. They are, after all, just things. But they are things that are precious to me because of what they represent: my life in Christ. They are things that help me bless others and receive blessing. They are things that help me learn and grow in my walk with Jesus. They are things I value, not because that's what good Christian girls do; but because people good at being alone, people not so good at giving to others, people who are easily derailed and discouraged need these things to help them walk communally, unselfishly, purposefully, and with hope.