12/06/2021
A must read for every Christian...
“Are those your new shoes, Jimmy?”, Grandpa asked. “Ya”, Jimmy replied. “Mommy bought them for me yesterday.” “But the sole is tearing off already.”, complained Grandpa as he took hold of the flapping shoe bottom.
“Let me tell you a story, Jimmy”, Grandpa insisted as he motioned for Jimmy to sit beside him. “Not too long ago, right here in this town, there was a shoemaker. He knew you by name and had your size and particulars in a small card catalog that he would go to as you walked into his shop. He would make your shoes to fit your foot exactly. Today the sizes are meant to fit many, many different feet where the shoemaker’s shoe was made to fit your foot and your walking pattern.”
“So what happened?”, asked Jimmy. “Where is the shoemaker now?” “Gone.”, quipped Grandpa. The mall was built nearby with a wide selection of shoes and cheaper prices.” “That’s a good thing.”, Jimmy responded. “Not really.”, explained Grandpa. “You see, along with losing the personal touch of someone knowing you and what you need while providing true quality work and materials, the cheaper prices brought cheaply made shoes. Instead of wearing for years, the cheap shoes might last for a few months if you are lucky.”, Grandpa explained. “So you would have to buy shoes more often.”, Jimmy surmised. “That’s right!”, replied Grandpa. “So in the end its really not much of a savings at all! But very few people made that deduction and kept buying from the mall stores. With time, the shoemaker could no longer make a living and had to close his shop. The same was true for the dressmaker, the local grocer and the hardware store. All closed.”, said Grandpa. “And the large online stores are fooling people into thinking that their products represent true quality.”
“But I heard the mall was closing now too!”, Jimmy reported. “Yep!”, Grandpa agreed. “People now a days buy things online. So the malls are closing and all those workers have to look for new jobs as well. “Why do they buy online, Grandpa?” “Because of the same promise; lower prices and a wider selection. With time, something will come along and replace online purchasing with yet the same promise. Just wait and see!”, Grandpa stated firmly.
“And Jimmy”, Grandpa continued. “There is a larger problem.”, he warned. “What’s that?”, asked Jimmy. “The same thing is now happening with our churches.” “Oh?” responded Jimmy. “Yep, the larger churches came in with bands like you would see in a tavern and they played just as loud too! They offer several programs and activities for the whole family.” “That’s a good thing.”, deducted Jimmy. “Not necessarily”, Grandpa continued. “Just like people lost the personal quality of the shoemaker when they went to the mall stores, people get lost in the crowd at these large congregations. Folks are programmed by age and category like farm animals, rather than receiving the personal care and guidance of the local pastor. People see the local church buildings as simply places to be married, buried or baptized. They are no longer the places for growth, worship and Christian service that they once were. And even the large churches are starting to suffer as more and more people are watching televangelists online rather than attending a physical worship service.”
“So what?”, Jimmy inquired. “The ‘so what’ is this. First, like the shoemaker, if we don’t support the local churches, they won’t be here any more. Eventually they will close down just like the mom and pop stores. Can you imagine town after town without any churches?”, Grandpa asked. “No.”, stated Jimmy. “That would be sad.” “Yes it would.”, agreed Grandpa. “Secondly, the world now hears Christianity being defined as just something that’s supposed to make you feel good; like the feeling of whiskey, gambling or drugs… all the while hearing plea after plea to support the multi-million dollar mansions and summer houses of the celebrity clergy elites. There is no substance or quality in the experience; just feelings.”, Grandpa explained. He went on, “cheap shoes are now seen as the example of quality in the same way that spectator worship is the substitute for a real, life-changing experience with the Almighty and Living God!
“There is a moral to this story, Jimmy.”, Grandpa explained. “What’s that?”, asked Jimmy. “That we need to support the local church if we want to have them around or they too will be gone. And we need to understand that quality ministry is personal and interactive. So if people want an authentic Christian experience and hope to see local churches stick around, why not celebrate this Christmas by starting back to church- while it is still there!”
