Recommended bulletin inserts
for May

"Regarding Thursday," I wrote to a friend, "please do not be worried." She was a few days away from exploratory surgery which might reveal anything from a clean bill of health to cancer. In her email to me she had admitted her trepidation and asked for comfort. Having never faced a similar prospect myself, I spent some time thinking about how I would feel if I were in her shoes. I came to realize, first of all, that I too would be intensely concerned. When I wrote back, it was not to say "don't worry" as though I never would.

I then began to meditate on some of the factors that make Christians fearful when faced with the possibility (or reality) of a long-term or terminal illness, along with biblical responses to each.

Is salvation (which includes forgiveness, a relationship with Christ, and heaven) just for good people?

The apostle Paul didn't think so.

For Paul, earning salvation on the basis of good behavior is as impossible as driving a car from California to Hawaii. You may start with break-neck acceleration, but you will end up on the ocean floor, hopelessly short of the goal.

All of us have sinned so grievously and so often that the merit system for salvation doesn't make sense. How can we possibly recover from all the years of disobedience—thousands of actual sins against God? And how can we totally stop sinning in the future?

These are days of "largeness" and, admittedly, I have bought into the hype. Let me explain: Normally when my wife and I go out on a date, we eat at a restaurant, but there are certain eateries that I refuse to frequent. Why? Because their servings simply aren't large enough! If I'm going to spend that kind of money, then I want to get something substantial in return. I recognize that you might prefer taste over size, but I prefer goodness and largeness. Actually, if I had to have one or the other, I'll take mass. That way, at least I won't be hungry half-way through the post-dinner movie.

What about the local church? Is largeness always better? Nearly every town has a church that is bigger than all of the others. Is God blessing the big church, while the other churches around the community are missing out on God's favor?

Have you ever thought about why we do the things we do when we go to church? What if the next time you went to church, the song leader asked everyone to quack like ducks instead of singing worship songs? Would God be pleased if your pastor talked about his new shoes instead of preaching from God's Word? Does it matter if everyone reads from a telephone book instead of from the Bible? Would it make a difference if you all said a nursery rhyme instead of talking to God in prayer? Does God care how we worship Him when the church meets?

When we have questions about God, we should always go to the Bible to find the answers. In the Bible book of Leviticus God teaches us about worship with the story of two men, Nadab and Abihu.

Also consider...........