Big Bird and Worship

With the political fate (and the survival, and that only briefly, in my opinion) of the United States of America in the balance, the hottest topic seems to be the value of continued Government support for PBS and one of its iconic programs, Sesame Street.

“Sesame Workshop is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization and we do not endorse candidates or participate in political campaigns,” Sesame Workshop said. “We have approved no campaign ads, and, as is our general practice, have requested that both campaigns remove Sesame Street characters and trademarks from their campaign materials.” (Yahoo News)

When the Presidential election campaign is reduced to such trivial items – especially when Sesame Workshop has said repeatedly that they need no Governmental support to continue and be successful – we need to be very afraid.

Of course it is not unlike the Church of Jesus Christ. We (those of us who are the Church of Jesus Christ) have often been reduced to battles over what genre of music is predominate in our gatherings, or what version of the Bible we are partial to, or if we are to “makeover” our operation to mimic the operation of the World as opposed to being radically different from the World, or even if it is important to be evangelistic in our approach to society.

Just as Big Bird is largely irrelevant to the course of history (and Sesame Street has been quite successful in education) so these silly arguments over style and fashion of Congregational Worship and involvement with the World (read: society) are a waste of time when the Scripture is so abundantly clear as to God’s design and purpose.

I might suggest that our Nation could spend more time studying the impact of the Presidential election on the Supreme Court, or Health Care in the United States, or our policies toward allied Nations and sworn enemies, or the crushing National debt for which there is no possible advantageous solution.

I might suggest the Church of Jesus Christ focus on obedience rather than “successful growth strageties.” We might spend more time reading and understanding (via the enlightenment of God’s Spirit) the Word of God as opposed to arguing whether or not its TRUTH can or cannot “be known.” We could learn how to Worship with a focus on our Father as opposed to a focus on ourselves. We might even come to discover that we have the “treasure in earthen vessels” and are designed and empowered to be witnesses to that TRUTH.

I fear we are “losing it” on every front. But then – who cares?