Today's Devotional

 

 February 17, 2009

                                                                                                                     

Subject:  Race Church 

Galatians 3:26 "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."

---

Why haven't we done more?  Why are churches still mostly segregated, years and years after most of our other institutions, even the White House and our government, have changed their racial compositions to create diversity?  Why is it so hard for people to worship based on the Christ that we all supposedly share?  The answer can only be, we are still attending what I cll "Race Church."

I got a phone call from my brother yesterday and these were all of the questions that he was pondering?  He didn't state them as I stated them, but surely this is what he was feeling.  He is dismayed by what he finds at churches that he has visited and been a member of in the past few years.  I let him know that even as I have been a believer many more years than he has, I haven't found much different in all of my years.  

The problem is that for those who really do want a simple worship of Jesus Christ, it is difficult to get past a lot of the "church."  I've been a member and attended all-black congregations where the pride was in being black and a Christian I've been a member of and attended all-white congregations where the pride was in being white and a Christian.  Both were "Race Churches."  These churches have it backwards.  

This is not a democrat or republican debate.  It is not a conservative or liberal debate.  It's a matter of who wants to worship Jesus Christ.  

Today, let's get beyond "Race Church" and it won't happen accidentally.  Pray that we take some initiative and see if we can break down the walls of religion for the world to see how God does diversity through Jesus Christ. 

Carlen