Good Morning!
I’ve heard it said that we are living in a day and age where people aren’t all that interested in being taught or learning in general. I don’t really agree with such an idea. When you have watched teenage boys watch hour-long videos on how to do a particular activity in Fortnight I’d say there is at least the capacity, if not the passion to get better and improve. My now adult daughters are both in school, one learning skills in early childhood education and the other is studying to be a Narrowband Terrestrial Systems Operator (whatever that is). Nearly all of us spend the vast majority of our day learning and growing in all different types of knowledge. Sometimes it is just doesn’t seem like it. Even if you are doomscrolling on YouTube shorts or Instagram reels (even Tik-Tok) each blast of video is full of some kind of information. It may not be good information, but it is filling your mind with something.
I say all that on a day in which we talk about confessions and professing our faith because I don’t want anyone to use the excuse like, “I don’t want to learn” or “I’m too old to learn” or “I’m not really interested in this stuff.” We show interest in the things we care about. For Christians there is nothing we should really care about more than Christ. The Scriptures teach us that we will spend our eternity in that exact frame of mind. Whenever we witness believers encountering Jesus they can’t seem to get away from listening to Him. We’ve talked a bunch lately on Wednesday nights about the twin examples of Mary and Martha. Not to belabor the point, but which receives the blessing of our Lord? The one sitting at His feet listening and learning. Relatedly, remember when the disciples attempt to keep the children away from Him? He chastises the disciples, brings the children into His lap, and helps the little ones to have a greater faith in God then they had before. When the church provides a chance for us to gather with brothers and sisters in Christ in order to be taught and we find every reason under the sun not to be there it says something not just about priorities, but about what we would rather be learning about. While there can be better/worse ways to learn, if we are constantly waiting for the “right” way we’ll never go. There will always be something that isn’t “right”.
Like most things in the Christian life our lack of desire to attend these kinds of events is a heart issue. That’s not to say if there are legitimate providential reasons you can’t make it that you are somehow sinning or whatever. But we need to make sure, if we are honest with ourselves, that those reasons are actually legitimate, and not just convenient. The Lord knows the truth. Outside of neglecting Sabbath Worship no one is going to go around and bug you about not making it. Though it should cause us to ask the question as to whether we should even need to be bugged. Is not the presence of those we love in Christ reason enough for our making the time to be there? A justification I’ve heard before is that there aren’t people there my age, or there aren’t people there I can relate to. Well, maybe if all the folk who told me that came, it would fix itself. Just a thought. That type of idea of course also belies a deep misunderstanding of the Church. Titus 2, 1 John 2, and many other passages witness to us how vital it is for all Christians, young and old, middle-aged to learn and grow from one another in love.
In closing, as we think about confessions and vows it is worth our remembering how knowing what we believe and why we believe it is not for the ivory tower professors. It was the humble Anna who was able to notice when the Christ child was near. The fancy degreed Pharisees were ignorant. When the faithful followers of the Lord join one another to grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth they help their brothers and sisters in ways they may not even realize. It is good and right to seek to receive the information the Holy Spirit blessedly provides for us in times of study, prayer, and in holy conference, as the Puritans used to say. Let us not neglect such a great gift for our own good.
Blessings in Christ,
Rev. Benjamin Glaser
Pastor, Bethany ARP Church
