ClarkeComments.com

Hello all:

My family and I had the opportunity to attend the annual mass worship service between churches of Christ yesterday. It was a great experience, even though I whined the other day about not all of the churches being there.

Dr. Dennis Lynn, the President of Cascade College, my alma mater, was the em cee for the event. Mike Amour from Texas was the speaker for the worship.

Both Dr. Lynn and Mr. Amour spoke about the need for unity in the churches of Christ, as well as the need to not “speculate” about what other people and churches are doing.

The message really touched my heart. I’ve been guilty of speculating, and I will do my best not to do that anymore. I hope that you will all keep me to that. I want to apologize to any of you that I’ve hurt along the way.

While I am pretty conversative in the church, and I am what many of you would call a “true believer” in many of our doctrines, and even in our hermuntic, using this blog and reading the blogs of others has really helped me see that those in the church that are more liberal than I have a place at the table.

I praise the Lord for showing me this, and for using many of you like Greg Kendall-Ball, Travis Stanley and Gabe Peterson to do His work in this regard.

-Clarke

Hello all:

Last night I had a hard time falling asleep because I couldn’t get an idea out of my head… so, now I’ll throw that idea down on paper (or on screen, anyway) and see where it goes….

I was reading the Christian Standard last night. This week, really, this whole month, the theme is unity. They had an article about Restoration History; one about a Luthern Church member who went to a church planting center affiliated with the independent Christian churches, who was then baptised and ordained as a minister and is planting a restoration movement church; and another one how the church is intentionally one…

These articles, along with my previous post on the recent church of Christ church plant that used instrumental music, got me thinking a few things:

First off, many independent Christian churches, especially the more conservative ones, when asked what differenties themselves from churches of Christ, don’t say that they specifically use instrumental music. They instead say that they are the body inside the Restoration Movement that doesn’t not have a denomination form of government and which does not hold the use of instrumental music as a test of fellowship…

That distinction is important, because the fact that the use is not a test of fellowship does not necessarily mean that a church would have to use instrumental music, but obviously could if they so chose.

In a capella churches of Christ, the church typically does use instrumental music as a test of fellowship, and does not use instrumental music.

So, my idea is this: Plant a church of Christ, which would be a capella, but, does not hold the use of instrumental music as a test of fellowship.

This plant could be possibly done in cooperation with one of our groups that assists in church planting for churches of Christ, and with one of the evangelizing associations of the Independent Christian Churches.

The leadership for the church plant could come out of both church of Christ and independent fellowships. Involvement with both church of Christ and Independent encampments, gatherings, lectureships, schools and beneveloance would put this plant in the middle between these two fellowships of people.

It could provide a bridge, albiet small, between two groups with so much in common.

So, what do you think? Could it work? Would it be feasable? Could one church fellowship with both groups?

I’d love to hear your opinion.

-Clarke

Hello all:

Next Sunday in the Portland area, the annual “TLC service” will be held at the Oregon Convention Center. TLC - Together with Love in Christ is a gathering where local churches of Christ all come together to worship and fellowship. After the services, there is usually a songfest with local Christian singing groups.

I’m looking quite forward to it…having been a member of a couple of different congregations in the area, I know alot of people, and many of them I haven’t seen in a long time…I haven’ t been to a TLC service in several years, so it will be like a reunion.

My wife and I were having dinner tonight and talking about the service next Sunday. My wife, who grew up in the Assemblies of God - and hasn’t been to a TLC service before - asked me if all of the churches would be there…. and I had to answer: No.

None of the non-institutional churches will be there. None of the one-cup congregations will be there. The one charismatic church of Christ that I know of won’t be there. The instrumental churches won’t be there. I don’t know of any “no-class” congregations in the area, but if there is one, they won’t be there, either.

All of the “mainline” liberal congregations will be there, but no one else… thats pretty ironic considering the theme this year is “Unity Grounded in Trust.”

Having grown up in both the mainline and non-institutional churches, I know that the differences are really fairly minor. I’m just sad that none of my friends from the non-institutional churches will be there.

I know that if I were to walk into the Forest Grove Church of Christ, I would be greeted with open arms. They wouldn’t blink an eye about me being there because they know me…. but I think they would be suspicous about being invited to an event like TLC. I doubt anyone would come at all…

I’m just frustrated by the divisions in our own church, and I wish I knew what the answer was.

-Clarke

Hello all:

Next Sunday has been designated “Churches of Christ Orphan Sunday” by Lifeline of Hope, which is an organization that runs many orphanages overseas.

Lifeline of Hope is asking that people make a special donation to help support orphanages worldwide. According to LOH, they can feed one child for an entire year for $120.00…thats ten dollars a month.

So..if you are able and willing, please visit the Lifeline of Hope website and give what you can.

-Clarke