Covenant Church

I drove through Sleepy Town. Shades were pulled. Lots of houses were dark. Only an occasional candlelight. A few folks were out. Dark was lurking like a bad omen. Here and there a person seemed to be moving with reason and purpose. But their steps seemed out-of-step with Sleepy Town.

There were lots of objects and leftovers in Sleepy Town that suggested its being a party town. Having fun was primary. Something for everyone to do what they wanted. Feeling good and enjoying life appeared to be the mantra.

Sleepy Town folks jumped around from church to church in an attempt to find singing, preaching, and social customs that fitted their comfort zone. It did not matter that they had pledged fidelity. It did not matter that they had been leaders in a church. Just one Sunday they decided life was more about them than others or promises. They drifted on, like sagebrush on a windblown prairie.

When they ran out of churches and failed to find the "shoe that fitted" their wants, whims, times and schedules they resorted to starting their own church, fellowship or home pajama religious circle. No set rules. No authority. No accountability for stewardship. It seemed the most important part of new religious beginnings was to be against old religious ideas, customs, and beliefs.

Tithing was changed to giving where "stroked." If in the mood, give to a person or project that will get name listed, get a letter knighting sainthood and promise of "Free Pass" to heaven, or a personal thank-you. Maybe even an invitation to a special banquet with names of donors listed for everyone to see. Folks started to mark amounts of 2%, 3%, 5% as tithe, without looking to see Webster's dictionary still denotes tithe as 10%. They jumped up and down with songs about heaven, while they were busy getting and spending gold on earth.

The Bible was replaced by lots of "Christian" self-help books. The "SELF" should have been a warning. But folks in Sleepy Town took great pride in their ability to do it themselves. They also craved the esoteric and new...and could afford fads and fashions.

Self up front and successful allows Self to carve out Self's own rules for moral living. God is reduced to Self's definitions. The Good Book becomes a book of suggestions, read occasionally, and resting generally closed under the well-worn self-help books.

Down in the dark alleyways of Sleepy Town a few liberal folks were at work. They were crafting laws to give more and more people what more and more people wanted. More pleasure. More freedom to follow addictions. The right to marry and divorce as easily as trading cars. The right to live and sleep with others as a biological urge that fulfills natural yearnings. Men with men. Women with women. Other things despicable and against the Good Book.

A few good folks in Sleepy Town raised their voices in protest. But laws were passed that threatened, jailed, intimidated. Girls as young as 12 and 13 having abortions. A man in one house living with a woman...and he had more than five children by different women. A woman looking at her husband and saying: "I want to date other men, lots of them. I don't want to be confined to one man." But the laws passed said it was OK. Folks slept on...and parties multiplied with ever greater recklessness and wantonness.

Money was God. Money meant having the right to pleasure. Money meant freedom to go and do. Money meant recklessness of actions without regard to future health, broken relationships, consequences with children, and fear of God. Sleepy Town was on a roll. Everyone got to do what everyone wanted to do.
Blindness had gripped Sleepy Town. Storms came. Hurricanes. Floods. Droughts. Wars. Economic failures. Political blunders. Earthquakes. But Sleepy Town residents just cleaned up best they could and went back to partying.

It occurred to me as I drove through Sleepy Town that fools want to play in the present as if there is no future. But I saw the morning sky hint toward dawn. The Son would rise. In the glory of His Coming Sleepy Town would be judged. I shuddered. My heart was broken.

It was then that the Spirit said: "Son, do not be discouraged. A revival is building. There are good folks in Sleepy Town. They are praying. Fear not. I hear their prayers. One day they will rule Sleepy Town. One day evil will be conquered. One day I will set up my throne on earth and the whole earth will be filled with my glory."

Thank you for joining with me in the effort to wake up Sleepy Town.

Pastor Bare