I Am Prejudice!

Got your attention yet?

OK... it's 10:00 a.m. Sunday June 8th 2008. I have just arrived at Seacoast James Island, SC (My Church). We are starting the ONE Prayer series. Jesus says in John 17:20-24, "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world."" Wow! I know a lot of Christians that need to hear this message. You know the ones that criticize other churches for being to edgy with worship. Or the ones that if you wear flip-flops to church your going to hell. The ones that say if you speak to a member of the opposite sex, your sinning! We all have meet the overbearing, self-righteous Christians that think they are the only "true" Christians in the world. How dare they! We all need to be one... they should accept the fact that not all that don't see everything the way they see it are going to hell.

Ok, you might be asking yourself how the title of this message fits the words of this message. Hold on, here it comes. It is 11:45 p.m. Sunday June 8th 2008 and I am leaving the service feeling good. Feeling that the pastor let those holier than though Christians a spiritual beating! That message was for them, not me! Right?

Fast forward to yesterday. We were enrolling our 3 yr old on K-3 Kindergarten at an unnamed Baptist church. In walks what looks like the Pastor and his wife. The man in his late 60's has a neat but obvious comb-over and a suit (it's 100 degrees outside). His wife is wearing a pee green shoulder puffed ankle dress (again, IT'S 100 DEGREES!!!!) I think to myself, "pshhhh.... these people probably think me with my flip flops and torn jeans is a sinner bound for hell. They probably look at my wife's shorts and deem them to short for a Christian. They probably think we are bad parents to our two children."

IN FLIES THE BRICK WALL... **SLAM** God slaps me over the face and says "shoulda had a V8!" I was thinking and acting like those that I was pointing fingers at on Sunday. I was thinking down on them with no evidence just because of the way they dressed! God taught me this week that it isn't just the puffy shouldered ankle dress ladies, and old comb over men that are looking down on other Christians... I do it to! Hey if really weird dresses and comb-overs work for you... see you in heaven!

Next time you leave a church service pointing your hearts finger at someone else... stop and analyze your own life.... maybe you should be pointing your finger at yourself... I know I should have!

AG