What Do You Remember First?

I have been thinking recently about what we all remember earliest in terms of national or international events. Not just childhood memories, but things others would remember as well. And not based on some timeline in a book or on a website, but actual memories one would have.

For me it is the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. I remember sitting in my second grade class and our teacher, Mrs. Headley telling us the news. I do not remember much else about about Mrs. Headley.

I do not know why this sticks in my memory. Nothing on the early space flights, nothing with Cuba in the news, nothing about the Cold War, nothing sports related predates this memory. This is the one rooted in my mind.

I remember watching scenes on TV: coverage from Andrews AFB when they brought the body back to DC with Jackie still in the bloodstained suit; the funeral procession, watching the horse walk down the street with the boots backwards in the stirrups, watching JFK Jr., even younger than me, standing there saluting his father's coffin on the horse drawn carriage. I remember how upset the adults around me were.

It had quite an impact to visit the The Sixth Floor Museum 5 years ago when we moved to Dallas, to see events in a museum that I had personal memories of as a child. However, it was an event that I remember with sadness, but without any political or societal ramifications. I understood the occurrence, but not the event that happened.

I cannot say how this shaped my thinking or worldview, I was 7 at the time. My worldview centered around getting out of school at 3pm, summer vacation, ice cream and candy. But it sticks with me, and I review it in my mind from time to time. Especially around this time of year. Hard to believe it was 45 years ago that this happened in the city I now live next to.

Man Church

USA TODAY ran an article about men attending church that featured the church I attend in Grapevine, Texas called 121 Community Church. Click on the picture to review the article, I think you will find it illuminating.

This is our pastor, Ross Sawyers, delivering his message at a Sunday service. He is a pretty cool guy and is very serious about the Lord. He even has a budding Facebook ministry. Look him up and ask to be his friend. I think you would enjoy knowing him.

I thought it was a great article that showed our church is addressing the issue of men's attendance at church, but the underlying message is disturbing: men need to be enticed to do so. Why is that? Clearly we are called to corporate worship; you see it in passages like Acts 2:42-47 and Hebrews 10:24-25, calling us to worship together. Why is it we are not rushing to church to praise and worship our Savior, but must be lured in? Wed seem to rush everywhere else in our lives, why not to church? We are called to love Christ first and foremost, but many are acting as if they love Him least and last.

I love going to my church, I look forward to it every week, even when the Dallas Cowboys are playing (But that could be due to the fact that I am a native New Yorker – Let's Go Mets). Before this article, I had not really thought about my church being guy friendly, I guess I have been blessed with the gift of obliviousness. I am glad I attend a church that I feel comfortable in, but the church is not the building, it is the body of Christ drawn together by Him in corporate prayer and worship. I would pray that I would not feel less comfortable if the décor was less masculine in tone. I pray we are not being that shallow about the unimportant things. But sadly, we are imperfect beings, marred by our own sin. So we do what it takes to reach each other and to reach ourselves.

Men, be the hunters instead of the hunted. Be the leaders we are called to be in the body of Christ. I know we are all sheep, but I do not want to hear a lot of no bleating, please. Be a man and do it, but be quiet, strong and quiet, about it. No whining about the building or the music. Go to love on God, go to love on family and friends. Go to love on others. And go to be loved on.

You do not want to be the type of fish that is only attracted by some shiny lure; you should be jumping into this particular boat of your own volition. You should be in church because you want to be there. If you do not, you should be asking yourself why. Some day He will.