Have you ever wondered about any of these sacred cows?

The Great Commission. Don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together. Altars in church. Communion customs.

There are beliefs and customs within organized religion which must not be tampered with or criticized. They are to be given respect and reverence, and not to be examined too closely. The “rules” about these things are either clearly spoken or silently implied. To do otherwise is sacred cow tipping. (If you’re not from around here, that’s sneaking up on a sleeping cow and pushing it over for fun.) 

We love the (big C) Church and it’s because we do that we dare to tip over some of these sacred cows that we find in (little c) church. Some of them may seem harmless, but they can and do lead to confusion at the least, and heavy burdens at the worst.

You’re driving, minding your own business. Then you notice the car in front of you is straddling both lanes. You can’t get around them because they are taking up all the available space. Don’t they know how to drive? How did they even get a license? You wish they would just pick a lane already! 

How many believers have gotten their “license” but still can’t make a decision as to whether they are a sinner or a saint? Some believe they’re both at the same time – they’re straddling two identities. But you’re either one or the other – there’s no other choice. 

While watching a TV show years ago, a scene came on that just wrecked me. It brought me to tears and stayed with me for a long time. I couldn’t put my finger on why it affected me so much. Then just a few months ago I could finally identify the emotion: rejection. That took me in a direction of seeing the rejection in my life that I couldn’t identify at the time.

Religion would teach us that we need to focus on our sins. The Law of Moses demands that we behave in a way consistent with the law of Moses and keep all the laws all the time. In Matthew and Mark we read that John the Baptist tells us to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. So are we saved sinners or are we saints?

Picture trapeze artists performing a death-defying act. We are amazed and maybe a bit scared for them. But then we notice there is a net below them. They will be caught by the net if something goes awry. Knowing there’s a safety net frees them to try even more daring tricks. Without the net, their act would likely be more conservative. It would be less fun for them, and for the audience. In fact, falling may not even cross their minds – because they know the safety net will always catch them. 

Sometimes Christmas gets lost in the commercialism and religiosity all around us. We have some thoughts on this Christmas Eve.

Sweet little baby Jesus in the manger, calm and quiet, halo around His head, with arms outstretched. That’s how we see Him portrayed in every nativity scene. It’s beautiful and peaceful and we get the point. But every mother knows how unrealistic that picture is.

We know her story well. And because the verses are so familiar we tend to tune out as they are recited each Christmas. But today we take another look at this innocent young woman who loved God with all her heart.

The shepherds and the wise men are mentioned in another very familiar passage about the birth of Jesus. Here is a bit of storytelling about those nameless but favored people that were chosen to be major players in this supernatural event.