Reformed. Christianity. Evangelism. Modern Culture.
When a pastor lightens up on theology, the sufficience of scripture becomes secondary and its not long before he begins to delve into dubious schemes to keep people coming to church. Needless to say, Tennesse must be the one place where its hard to keep a congregation unless your pastor is talking about his “smokin’ hot wife” at a NASCAR race or foraging through an African jungle for exciting beasts:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – One of Nashville’s best known churches has been looking around for a lion and a whole bunch of other African animals. Members of Cornerstone Church in the Madison area won’t be surprised.
“We often use God’s creatures to tell stories,” said Senior Pastor Maury Davis. Sunday services at Cornerstone sometimes look like a circus with Pastor Davis as the ringleader.
From his office on the campus of the mega-church just off I-65, the often unconventional pastor listed all the wild beasts that have served as props in his sermons.
“Giraffes, pigs, parrots, zebras, parrots–even snakes,” smiled Davis. And the lion? “It really was just a thought. I told one of our staffers to look into African animals,” said the pastor.
“We have just really started to explore what we might do,” he added, “which may or may not include a lion.” Davis explained the animal idea compliments Cornerstone’s Family Month which is scheduled for October.
“We will do a service for the appropriate animal. The service we do determines what those animals are,” added Davis.
He said a lion, elephant, maybe even a gorilla may fit the bill. So what would a lion looming in the background of his pulpit bring to a potential sermon? Pastor Davis cited his numerous mission trips to Africa as seeing first hand lessons from God’s creatures.
“What I have learned on the Serengeti is even the King of Beasts has to fight hard to survive,” said Davis.
Instead of looking for 1,000 skunks and two grizzly bears to fight behind your pulpit, your task, O preacher, is to make sure that you are faithful to the text, that you are faithful to the proclamation of that gospel, that you are faithful to set forth the whole counsel of God, and then step back and let it happen.
A Twisted Crown of Thorns ® 
It’s enough to make you weep. . .
Yeah, weep for our sons and daughters.
… we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:17)
Another good verse is:
The time is sure to come when people will not accept sound teaching, but their ears will be itching for anything new and they will collect themselves a whole series of teachers according to their own tastes; and then they will shut their ears to the truth and will turn to myths. (2Ti 4:3-4).
Him with eyes like fire and hair like white wool and the wounded side shall forever transfix my gaze as He alone is altogether lovely. Looking unto Jesus by Isaac Ambrose is a great read brother.
Great commentary! When the bread of life is not what you are offering at your church, you are stuck with putting on a circus to keep em coming back. Thanks for the post!.
I cannot help but say this, “Lions and tigers and bears oh my!”