Some Things May Not Matter

Happy Thursday morning! The weather is changing though... looks like that autumn thing we've heard about may get underway over the next few days. Confusion reigns in the house. After a rough evening and night, I fed the cats 2 hours early and went to Wal-mart in the darkness of the morning. The cats are wondering what in the world can be going on. The wind may not help matters. We all get a little out of sorts when it blows all night long and shows no signs of letting up yet today. Have you ever felt confused about aspects of your faith? Are the Saturday worshippers correct? Should we hold a mass on Tuesday and then go to Sunday School on Sunday? Ceremonies can be quite impressive, but are they necessary for getting me to Heaven? What if I don't attend every time the church doors are open? Does God love me less because I was unfaithful in tithing back in '02? Does God turn his face from me because I drink coffee without the caffeine in it? We all have various questions about our faith it seems. But what if those are not questions about faith at all, but about doctrine? Except for the last one that is; at least I don't think the Bible says that I should be hoss-whipped for going decaf. Part of the problem lies in the depth and complexity of the Bible. We read and study, and read and study, and there is always more treasure to discover in God's Word. However, the solution is also in the Bible. Much of what we worry about is not going to matter much when we come before Jesus. One clue: Jesus stated, "For where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them." (Matt 18:20) There is no mention of any particular day in that verse that I can see. What is the context on either side of that verse? Jesus tells his disciples that if two of them agree on anything they ask, the Lord will do it. Following the verse is the command to forgive seventy times seven. Nothing too complicated. Sometimes it seems that no two persons of the Christian faith can agree on much of anything. I submit that nothing could be further from the truth. We agree on much and if we gather in the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit will be with us as we work out our faith for the glory of God the Father. Denominations and rulers disagree on a lot; that much is true. As followers of Christ, we should seek out our brothers and sisters in the name of Jesus and find Him to be our common ground. Many of our doctrinal differences will not matter in the life to come. Spread a little good news today! Bucky