El $15,000 los por favor (Dude, that costs $15,000)
Anyway, why would anyone be reading my blog after nearly a month or more of silence, what could be so compelling to recapture my faithful reader's attention. So in an effort to regain my lost audience and spur Vince to blog once more, I created a meaningless title and an intriguing story with a valuable moral to it!
So, as you've gathered I work at a small Christian Bookstore in Denver, Colorado. Most days we make around $2000 in profits. So I was stunned one day to discover that we had made $17,000! I was like, what happened! I found out that a nearby church had spent $15000 silver cartwheels on not building a church, or a missions trip, or a ton of Bibles to give away, or VBS supplies, or facility renovations, but on
yep....choir robes!
I was dissappointed! And discouraged. Now, I'm not dissing choir robes, I always loved the way they made you feel like you could praise the Lord with freedom and joy! The way the sleeves just kind of slung off your wrists in a way that always made me feel holier! But I do think that a church could have spent that money on a much more noble and worthy cause. I know pastors in Tanzania and Romania who would be blessed by one-fifth of what this church spent on choir robes, which will be eaten by moths! Imagine how many churches, orphanages or what-not could be blessed by such an investment. The reason many churches across America are dying is not because of the culture, or lack of religious freedom, (although that can certainly be an issue) it is because they (we) have failed to be Kingdom-minded. How can we expect a church to grow when its focus is on itself and its pursuits. The church will never survive as an institution because that is contrary to the nature of what Jesus called it to be. Now I'm not propagating "anti-all-institutions." But I am saying that the church is an organism and is most healthy when its focus is on community and family, because Jesus has always been about the family and relationships. Not institution and organizations. Now Christ has and can use Institutions but I believe he called us to spend out smackaroos on widows, orphans, trips to starbucks to answer an unbeliever's questions, or building the church worldwide!
Next time you consider buying that item that you think will contribute to your further happiness and comfort, consider the $15000 that church spent on choir robes. We could spend our bucks on more worthwhile activities!
?No habla espanol?
posted by BenZ at 9:09 PM
7 Comments:
that must be a large choir.... :) after spending years in France and understanding the major needs of churches that could be solved with a bit of generosity or sacrifices of things that are considered 'commonplace conveniences' in the states, i fully agree and understand your point. on the other hand, considering some people's (mainly women) fashion choices and general lack of common sense and modesty, a choir robe can often cover quite a bit of unsightly and uneccessary skin, and relieve certian distraction and direct people's concentration from a fashion show (or worse) to worship in a more revrant manner. but that's just an oppinion from someone who has spent many hours baking under a choir robe herself :)
10:17 PM, May 16, 2006
Well beyond not knowing the joy (or heat) of donning a choir robe, I basically agree with your main point. So instead, I'll respond to the frivolous points :D.
why would anyone be reading my blog after nearly a month or more of silence Oh the time I've saved by switching to an RSS reader. So now instead of obsessively checking all these sites daily or more looking for that next update, I can obsessively refresh a single page and fret over whether you're still alive :P.
?No habla espanol?You'd think after 6 years of spanish classes in school, or the fact I live a few hours from the border, or less than an hour from seeing signs in kilometers, or that a good portion of my city speaks more spanish than english I would have retained more. But, nope, I barely have more spanish knowledge than I do korean which I only spent 3 months playing with last year.
Ann marie:
One of my sisters goes to a church where the choir does not wear robes, but they are required to dress conservatively/modestly (with a few clear guidelines as to what that is). So it is possible to avoid the problem without the expenditure. Although, I imagine robes look nicer... I've never regularly attended a church with a choir though, so perhaps I just don't really understand.
11:56 PM, May 16, 2006
I agree with you about baking under the choir robes, Ann Marie! I usually run about 10 degrees warmer than everyone else anyway... and so the choir robes are practically torture! Maybe they make them out of the heaviest material possible and stick you under the brightest stage lights to remind you that you were saved from hell!
Hahaha... ok, maybe not. :-P I know that at our last church there were some people who needed to be covered up with a choir robe and a dress code would have gone over like a lead balloon. After all we cannot judge people for how they dress, right? Give me a break... ;-) They were not the most conservative group of believers... and our family was close to Amish for some of them. :-P
9:38 AM, May 17, 2006
LOL My home church used to have chior robes, but now they do not. I kind of like the less "formal" feel. Makes worship more warm and family like rather than tradition.
And I am still a faithful checker...and I'll be a faithful reader if you continue to give me something to read. ;-)
8:13 AM, May 18, 2006
wow I feel so honored everyone comments on my blog when I update it! what a concept! Ann Marie I not dissing the robes I'm dissing the seemingly inconsiderate thoughts of this church towards possibly more valuable things! Trin, I can speak more pig latin than spanish
Jaclyn, hell is not hot it is the "gray town."
Dawn, thanks for your unending faithfulness, take care my sis while shes in your care! and I think with the whole robe thing, it was a really relevant expression of worship I'd say through 1980. But otherwise I'd say it is pretty old school.
Overall, I was dissapointed because this church is a really vibrant church that I had held in higher honor before I heard of this $15000 purchase for something that only causes people to sweat and makes everyone equal dress wise. that's it! Choir robes are for communists!
9:57 PM, May 25, 2006
LOL "Choir robes are for communists." I gotta meet you someday, Ben. You seem to be alot a combo of Matt and my bro-in-law Andy.
And no worries. Jaclyn is cared for...and is caring for me. She's amazing, Ben. Watch for a post on my blog after she gets back. I've got a good one in the works all about...your sis.
6:07 PM, May 26, 2006
LOL you crack me up. Sorry if I ame across as thinking you were dissing choir robes.... I competely agree with the fundamental point you were making too!
So, I heard it's someone's birthday pretty soon? Hmmm fancy that!
Talk to you soonly!
9:04 PM, May 27, 2006
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