I hate some things. Here are some of my thoughts (aka: rant) about one of my pet peeves.
For ages people have had their say. It’s okay to get their name wrong but it is NOT okay to call them late for dinner.
Shakespeare expressed doubt that getting a name right has any great consequence in his “a rose by any other name would smell the same” quote.
However we have grown up in a culture where it is vitally important to call things by their right names. Let me challenge you with this idea, actually, question. In the kingdom of God, which is more important, right name or right practice?
Your first thought is probably the same as mine. Let’s do both. But, lets think a little outside of our usual idealism. If you had to choose, and believe me we often do, which would you choose? Calling things by their right name. Or doing the right things.
Here are some observations of mine. Yes, just George’s opinion. I have seen some argue strongly for the use of the term deacon but are unconcerned when a deacon is not actually serving anybody. Evangelists who are correctly titled but who do not preach good news. Shepherds who we insist must be called a certain title and who haven’t visited the sheep in years.
You see, we do choose. Too often we choose right name over right practice. Is it because we are superficial? Maybe. I know I often am. Is it because it is easier to get the name right than getting the practice right? Maybe.
I have heard strong worded arguments for calling the church by the “right” name. And that name, they argue, is the Church of Christ. Some argue for a small “c” on church but they all come from the same point of view i.e. that we must make it a priority to call the church by its right name. They claim biblical authority for this. Yet, the do not apply that same level of intensity to the church living out its purpose.
Yet, the Bible I read (I’m sure it is the same one I read) never uses the phrase, Church of Christ. It actually uses others when referring to a church, but I digress. My point is this; we put so much energy into calling the church by the “right” name and we put very little energy on actually being the church that Christ is building.
I would rather have a church that calls itself the Glendale Church (for which there is clear biblical authority) and actually practices what the Bible says members of the church should be doing rather than one who has the “right” name and acts like a bunch of unbelievers.
We have let our culture change us too much. We, too often, have become just as superficial as our society in trying to make everything look good in name and have ignored the more important things. Didn’t Jesus say something about this? ““Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.” Matthew 23:23, NIV.
Get the practice right and get the name right but if you have to choose, get the practice right. Let’s BE the church that Christ is building.
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