What ever happened to the old fashioned altar?

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE OLD FASHION ALTAR CALL?

"Okay, enough, already," as they say in New York. Enough of this user friendly approach to comfortable settling people in our churches as if the haute culture dictates how we do church.

The Bible is clear, when the Holy Spirit comes,

He will come to convict the world of sin, to show the world what has God's approval, and to convince the world that God judges it. (John 16:8 GWT)

Which leads me to the question, “How can we not bring offence to an ungodly public, if we allow the Holy Spirit to do His work?”

Is it an embarrassment for someone to run to our altars weeping and repent of their sins? Of course, one way to avoid that embarrassment is to take the altar out of the church and to make the church more “user friendly.”

Come on now, isn’t that what church is about? Is it not a refuge for the weary, the sick, the confused? Sure it is. I am not advocating whipping of the emotions of the congregation to the atmosphere of a 3 Ring Circus into a kind of sideshow to entertain the curious. But, I will say this, when the wind of the Spirit blows across a congregation, strange events sometimes accompany it.

Take the Day of Pentecost. The crowd poked fun, they said the disciples were drunk! Nothing “user friendly” about that! So, my point is, why sacrifice an old fashion mourners bench just to keep up with the latest “user friendly” trend?

An altar call can be a place of dignity, too. I have seen the Holy Spirit gently move up and down communicants kneeling at the altar rail with tears in their eyes as pastors in clerical robes served them the Lord’s Supper.

Further, I will say that dismissing a crowd with a kind of spiritual parting shot of “Now, take this home and think about it!” will not get the job done, either. People need an altar. They need a place. They need the comforting embrace of a deacon or deaconess, or just an ordinary layperson. They need such in the here and now, not tomorrow or at some psychiatrist’s couch, either.

My great-grandmother, I am told was a shouting Methodist, and one day her Presbyterian husband had to take her home from the church on the bed of the wagon because she had “fallen under a swoon.”

Oh to God that more of us would fall under a swoon. I think that would remove some of the petty ~ and some not so petty ~ theological nuances that separate us as Christians. Modes of baptism, Communion Ordinances, the time of the Rapture or even at what point the Second Coming dissects God’s calendar of events. These points of division among us would pale in light of the overwhelming joy that would flood our souls.

There would be no confusion in the church as to what constitutes a marriage, that’s for sure!

Speaking of gay marriages, I found the following excerpt interesting:

CNN-Atlanta Ordering lunch just got a lot more complicated than deciding how to answer, "Do you want fries with that?"

Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy sparked reactions that were swift and strong after he weighed in on same-sex marriage by saying his company backs the traditional family unit.

Politicians from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum spoke up. Supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage protested. And suddenly, the type of fast-food bag you carry could reveal your views on a hot-button social issue that has split the country.

Some proponents of same-sex marriage have decried Cathy's comments and called for a boycott of the chain, which had annual sales of more than $4.1 billion last year and has more than 1,615 locations in 39 states and Washington, D.C., with the strongest concentration in the Southeast.

"How backward and ignorant ... how sad," CNN reader Joe Brown said. "No more Chick-fil-A for me. I am not in the stone-casting business as a Christian."

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), meanwhile, is promoting a National Same-Sex Kiss Day to be held at Chick-fil-A restaurants across the country on August 3.

The Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A, for its part, has gained the support of such high-profile leaders as the Rev. Billy Graham.

Graham has praised restaurant founder S. Truett Cathy and son Don Cathy "for their strong stand for the Christian faith."

"I've known their family for many years and have watched them grow Chick-fil-A into one of the best businesses in America while never compromising their values," Graham said, breaking his usual silence on hot-button issues.

Well, I say hurray for Billy Graham, nothing “user friendly” about that stance.

So, what’s the point? The point is simply this, the Bible reports that Christ, our Lord and Savior, uncompromisingly said,

"Don't think that I came to bring peace to earth. I didn't come to bring peace but conflict." (Matthew 10:34 GWT)

And, His intentions were clear when he said,

"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!" (Luke 12:49 NIV )

Nothing “user friendly” about that!

Some have tried to read into these passages that Christ promoted violence; however, that’s taking his whole character out of context. No, He did not advocate violence, or hatred, or any other vile act or attitude. Just the contrary. He was and is the Prince of Peace. However, in His wisdom, He knew that sin and unrighteousness has no part in the Kingdom of God.

Now, fast forward to the 21^st Century. Do we expect to placate and ungodly generation into righteousness by ignoring the convicting intentions of the Holy Spirit and soft peddling our way into spiritual utopia by making discipleship easy or “user friendly”?

I think not.