I once visited a church building in a faraway land that had flags flanking the pulpit. I recognised one as being that country’s national flag, but the other I did not recognise. Given that churches of Christ usually do not have religious icons in their places of worship, I was surprised to see secular insignia on bold display. The brother who was showing me the facilities looked as if someone had called him away from his favourite TV show, so I felt loathed to ask any questions.
As much as I question the wisdom of my brethren deliberately displaying flags in their place of worship, I have long since given up the notion of being the police of novel church decorations. Now, if any of these decorations are conducive to idolatry, then it behooves all of us to intervene. Personally, “the-NONE-the-better!”
However, the flags that should concern us are Red Flags.
Too often our congregations miss the warning signs of a move away from the beliefs and practices of the New Testament church. Like Israel of old, who demanded a king like all the nations around them, congregations have taken on the beliefs and practices of the denominations around them.
Let me assure you that many a good Christian has been duped into accepting non-Biblical ideas in the name of progress. Later they regret that they bought the line: “All these problems will disappear if we change to be like the other denominations.”
I am not suggesting that every congregation of the Lord’s church has been perfect in handling problems, but it is naïve to think that there is a “denomination” that has all the cures for human disharmony; such talk should be the most obvious of Red Flags.
(To be continued…)
John Staiger
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