I am a Tired Christian
William B. Wright
Weirton, W. Va.
In 1966, Alan G. McIntosh wrote an article entitled, "I Am a Tired American." The sense of his article was that he is sick and tired, "fed up to here," with beatniks, longhaired youths, loafers, and dictators who seek by one means or another to defame and destroy the United States of America. I believe that Mr. McIntosh spoke the feelings of many of us in his splendid article. But there is another sense in which I am tired -- I am a tired Christian!
I am a tired Christian - weary unto death with those in the church who never seem to grow up "unto a full-grown man in the Lord," who seem to think that the elders, the preacher, and a few faithful members of the church have nothing better to do than to think up trow ways to entice them to attend the services of the church. It is indeed amazing that these same people, who seem to think they are doing the church a favor by attending the services, never stop to ask who encourages the elders, the preacher, the deacons, and other good members to be faithful. Where would the church be if there were not some in her ranks who do not need to be enticed?
I am a tired Christian -- sickened by those who argue that youth must be entertained by the church, and as a church function, lest we lose them. What is so different about this age that entertainment suddenly becomes a means of making men and women out of boys and girls instead of the gospel of Christ, the power of God unto salvation? What has happened to the great virtue, responsibility? Why not expect and demand that our children grow up and be responsible, rather than irresponsible?
I am a tired Christian -- one who has lost all patience with the handling of church affairs in a slipshod, haphazard fashion, as though it were a matter of little consequence whether church business is transacted at all, It/s important that personal work be done. It is important that the building be maintained. It is important that decisions are made and carried out respecting the Lord's church. Do people think they can escape punishment when they neglect the affairs of the church which He has left in our care and keeping?
I am a tired Christian -- one who is angered by the self-righteous church members who go about calling people "antis" who teach the same message today that all members of the church taught twenty years ago. It is shameful that men will go about piously insisting that supporting a human institution out of the church treasury is a matter of expediency and then do secretly everything possible to destroy the influence of those who oppose so doing.
I am a tired Christian -- filled right up to here with the nonsense that we can sweep under the rug issues that are dividing churches throughout the land, and the issues will go away, or will not come here. Those who think that way are in the position of trying to ride the back of the tiger and will end up inside. I read sometime ago that many modern doctors of medicine would not recognize smallpox because immunization eradicated this scourge many years ago. Since most physicians have never seen a case of smallpox they could hardly be familiar with it. Similarly we have a brand new generation of church members growing up who did not hear the fine old sermons on the nature and purpose of the church. Because they have been listening to the modern sermon which is often composed of six points of emptiness numbered one through six consecutively, they do not know the difference between sectarianism and the truth. As a consequence they accept church support of institutions, the social gospel, church supported recreation, etc. as the proper thing to do. What we need to do is to study and discuss the issues and not to be afraid of them.
TRUTH MAGAZINE XIV; 49, p. 12
October 22, 1970
