This is how I see it...
For the past two Sundays in a row my fiancee has been upset after seeing two early twenty year old girls in our church wearing revealing skirts and shirts. In the past I have noticed these girls because of what they were wearing, but not on these two occasions. I felt guilty for noticing them, because I felt I was lusting, but when my fiancee mentioned it before I saw them, then I knew it was not only my fault for catching these girls with my eyes.
My fiancee said each time that 'someone' should say something to these two girls. I suggested that she should, but first, to pray that she uses appropriate loving words, so not to offend or insult. I also reminded her that when I first met her, she too, dressed 'differently', because she was trying to attract attention. She is now praying about the matter and dressing much better than ever before.
This reminds me of another situation I was in a few years back at my 'black' baptist church in Canada. My mom works in a motel, as a second job, and I usually visit her while she works. There is/was a girl who is about 23 who is a black prostitute that stays there while she is 'working'. I came to know her and talked to her anytime that we were at the motel at the same time. She is a 'nice' girl who I believe that made many wrong choices in life that led her to be where she is today, however, I would always ask if she wanted to go to my church.
After weeks of asking and suggesting, she finally said yes. One Sunday morning, I went to the motel to pick her up and when she walked out she was dressed 'nicely' in her 'street' clothing (not as bad as Julia Roberts in pretty women, but just as obvious). I did not say anything because I was glad that she was finally coming.
We walked into the church about 30 minutes early, like I usually do, before most of the others arrived. I like to sit two pews back from the front on the right hand side, so there we sat. So, there we are, a black prostitute and me, a new white guy, in an all black church. Within a few minutes, one of the women elders started to mumble something about her attire and she defensively replied back and then we had a little heated debate.
The elder was right, but her approach was totally wrong. A few minutes later, a couple, who helped me a lot when I first got saved, sat down beside me and started talking to me and the girl. In the meantime, someone got the girl a jacket for her shoulders. The couple soon realized that this young lady was their niece, whom they have not see for many years. This meant she was related to many others in the church. The point is that she never came back. One reason is because she was not accepted for what she was.
Trying not to divert too far from the original question, that brings me back to a few months ago when my fiancee and I were jogging. We came across a man who was sitting alone along a river drinking some soju (very popular Korean drink, tastes like gas and puts you on your ...). Since this was not even 9am, I felt in my heart that we should talk to him.
This was new to my fiancee and I, because we were just beginning to witness together (she translates) and handing out papers. I got her to ask if we could have a chat. He agreed. We sat down and began discussing Jesus. He asked us if we wanted a drink and although we said no, he continued drinking. The conversation was relatively good, but I could tell he was getting more nervous as he drank and smoked more cigarettes. He then repeated things he already discussed and then became argumentative. We eventually got up and continued our jog. The point is that some will listen, but there is a limit to what they are willing to recieve.
A few weeks later, my fiancee and I were walking to morning church at 4:45am, like we do each morning, when a guy who was sitting, drinking in front of a convenience store asked us to sit with him. A little confused and doubtful, we sat to see what he could want. He noticed we had our Bibles and wanted to know where we were going and why we believe in God. After a few minutes, I realized that maybe we would be late for morning church and then focused on trying to help him.
A long exchange took place and it turned out he was fighting with his wife and his life was not going so well. He was a business owner who had lots of money, but was empty inside. He offered me a job teaching his son, because he said that I look honest and that he could trust me. After a while, he went into the convenience store and told us to wait, while he bought some more beer and a warm drink for us. We talked a little more, but then we soon felt that this conversation was not really productive and he was starting to change his tone.
We said thank you and that if he ever wanted to attend a good church, he might want to think about the one beside the store. We hurried up to the church on the the six floor of that building and a few of the people looked at us as if we had no manners because we were late, although we knew we were doing something for the Lord.
About ten minutes later, from behind, I heard the door open and I prayed..."Oh, God...please do not be him!", but sure enough it was and he walked right up beside me and stood there talking loudly in Korean. I pointed to a chair in front of me for him to sit in and he did eventually. The whole room was distracted by this guy at first, but then he settled down and sat and listened. I could see him changing right before my eyes.
At first, he sat without facing the pastor (almost as a disobediant child with a terrible attitude) and then his body eased and got more and more comfortable. His head started to sink and looked as though in despair. He really looked to be changing and I was thanking God for what I was witnessing. It actually moved me to tears and he turned around to look at me just then. He saw my tears and it started to change him more.
I fixed my eyes on the pastor, while his eyes were fixed on me. Tears ran down my face, because I was thinking of the grace of God that I too experienced a few years prior. During the end of the message, like we always do, the pastor turns off the lights and we cry out "Jesus" 3 times and begin in group prayer. Before "Jesus" was cried out the second time, he was up and out the door in a flash. To this day, I believe the devil ran out of that room, not the man. The point is that any man should be given the chance to hear the Word.
One last story this thread reminds me of is a young guy who walked into a church that had cigarettes in his pocket, alcohol on his breath, and cocaine up his nose. We walked in the church and although he was not like everyone else, he was determined to find truth. He was welcomed by some, but cursed by others. At the age of 25, he sat down and 'heard' the Word, like it was the first time.
He did not know what to do at first, but because people were welcoming enough to show concern, he felt that he was safe and no one would hurt him in any way and although it was hard to attend each week and commit to anything concrete, he did eat more of the Word each week, to the point he started to need the truth and only the truth. That young man was me and I am here today, only because I was allowed in the church the way I was.
So, should you allow someone in the church with a beer in their hands? It all depends. The first thing I thought of was that we should not really be allowed to eat or drink anything in the church besides the blood and body of Jesus. I would feel uncomfortable with someone with a coke and bag of chips, let alone a beer and pizza.
You may ask to hold it for them and give it to them later, but if they demand to come in with beer in hand, so be it. Jesus removes the stain of sin, we can remove a beer stain!
...that's how I see it.
God Bless those that are accepted the way they are,
BrianMira
:roll:
