oh church of God, where is thy heart?

"But Jesus called them to him and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so amony you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'" Matthew 20:25-28

"Yet today's Christian culture seems intoxicateed with power and glory. We see this in the church growth movement, in the fascination with celebrities who become Christians, in marches on Washington, and the pride of influence in the halls of government. We see it in the over-done religious musicals that often pass for church services, and in the mass crusades during which hundreds come forward but few become disciples.

We 'celebrate' our way into God's presence, climbing a sentimental ladder, singing songs that replace Christ and his cross with me and my desire to see God's face, to experience his power, to see his glory, to feel his touch. Meanwhile, despite all the pomp and show, secularism continues its steady march uninterrupted as the noise from the theology of glory drowns out any dissent that might be heard coming from the ranks of the faithful.

Being united to Christ sounds like wonderful news at first. We hear inspiring testimonies about how much happier and more fulfilled people were after they 'found Christ.' But we seldom hear, and often forget the far-reaching ramifications of this identification. Not only are we identified with his victory, but are also destined to share in the 'fellowship of his suffering.'"

Where oh Lord is my heart, where oh Lord are our hearts, where oh Lord is thy heart, bring us back to you...