Haunting Thoughts

As I move along this continuum of faith, my mind is often agitated and swirling with questions, ideas, and thoughts. I often write about them as they come, other times, I simply ponder them and wonder what their significance might be, if any.

One that has puzzled me for some time is the idea of "invitations" at the end of a worship service. I must admit, when I was a pastor, many years ago in Southern Baptist Churches, the invitation is what you lived for. It was the time of decision and commitment. It was a time when perhaps God would offer "proof" that His word would not return void and that the preaching had touched the hearts of many.

I will also confess, there were times when I made the invitation so broad - "If you love your mother - come", that it would be impossible for anyone to pass up the opportunity to come forward. I smirk at the idea now, but then it was no laughing matter.

Over the past year especially, my wife and I have been exposed to a variety of worship settings. Some would offer an open invitation, inviting those to come either for membership or "salvation." Some would issue an invitation that merely asked for follow-up after the service or at some later time.

The one's that intrigue me now are the ones where people are asked to bow their heads and close their eyes - then - those who are making a decision for Christ or some other significant decision to raise their hands or to "look up" so that decision can be acknowledged.  Why is that?

Is there a fear of asking people to PUBLICLY acknowledge their decision to faith in Christ?  Not merely to raise their hand, look up, or wink three times, but to step out boldly and by doing so say, "Yes, I am making a decision to follow Christ."

The Christian faith is not a secret society with some sort of secret hand shake. The life is all about public acknowledgement of one's relationship and commitment to be a follower of the Christ (Mark 8:38, Luke 9:26).

John gives us a clear example of this in the closing pages of his Gospel. "Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him (Christ), but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God (12:42-43)."

Uhm..."the glory that comes from man" - fleeting at best, trivial at worse. The "glory that comes from God?" - satisfying and eternal.

My conclusion - should I come to one - is this. If God ever granted me an opportunity to pastor again, invitations would be selective and public - openly, brazenly and without fear - public. The other times, I would simply challenge people to make whatever decision it is and flesh it out in the way you follow the Christ.

Father Spirit, this forum is about as public as one can get. At times it serves simply as an environment for putting forth ideas. Other times it is an expression of my own angst regarding my walk with Christ. Through it all, let me seek your glory.