I do not usually respond to columns written in the paper, but I feel led of my Lord to respond to “It’s my faith, my choice about church” by Joshua Campbell on Sept. 30.
I am 85 years old now and cannot even recall a time in my life, when possible, I did not attend Sunday School, morning worship and evening worship on Sundays and prayer meeting on Wednesdays. You can be sure I heard boring lessons and sermons along the way, but I didn’t stop going because it was my opportunity to learn to grown and to apply God’s word.
As I look back I spent 20 years in classrooms and laboratories preparing myself for my profession and just because many of the lectures were boring, I didn’t stop because I was preparing for life.
In many seminaries across the country there are thousands and thousands of men and women studying under Bible scholars to give them insights into the unbelievable wonders and depths in God’s great book.
There are stages in the life of those who become Christians. First is the act of salvation when we accept the Lord as our savior. Next is sanctification, which is the process of studying and growing in our faith so that we can “give of our best to the Master.” Christianity is not a destination but a daily journey.
There are people all over the earth who risk their lives in order to join others in worship. In fact, the Bible tells us that Jesus went to the synagogues “as was his custom.” In Hebrews 10:24-25 we are told “and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together as the habit of some is.”
Josh, when you became a Christian the Holy Spirit gave you one or more gift; obviously one of them is the ability to write. The purpose of your gift or gifts is to unify and strengthen God’s church.
You are a good-looking young man, well-educated and have the ability in what you write to be an influence on other people’s lives for the good, I hope. It is my prayer that your last article didn’t influence some young, struggling Christian to quit attending church services.
After all, the Christian life is not just one of Bible study and prayer but must be a life of service. I’ll bet with your gifts and education you would be a great teacher and leader of a young people’s Bible class somewhere.
I have attended many, many intense Bible studies through the years, and I suggest to you that there is no way one person alone, reading the Bible 30 minutes or more a day, can begin to find and understand all the riches of God’s word.
If you continue to choose not to attend a church because it bores you, let me suggest that you turn on your television each Sunday morning on the Trinity Broadcasting Network at 7:30 a.m. and listen to pastors James Merritt, Jentzen Franklin and David Jeremiah. I dare you! If they bore you, I suggest you stop and reevaluate.
My best to you, my Christian brother,
Dr. Tom Whitehead, Columbia
