Pastor’s Corner: The Purpose

By Elder Gerald DeForest Tyler

In this column I want to merely touch upon “The Purpose” of the church building and our bodies and how we’re to treat them. Please note that I said merely touch upon because I certainly cannot exhaust all that I would want to share with you in just one short newspaper column. What’s “The Purpose” of the physical church building, facility, structure or edifice, and why have I chosen to address this issue at this time you might ask? Well, have you taken notice of the stuff that goes on in some of our churches today and how some folk dress for church services, or perhaps it would be better stated if I said don’t dress? It has become downright ridiculous how that so many people today don’t love God enough to fear, respect, and honor him and his house as we should. The church edifice and its sacred sanctuary are dedicated to a holy God for the purpose of rendering holy worship services unto him and for fellowshipping with others of similar or like faith and beliefs. And that’s just my short version of what the church is for. The bottom line is that God is to be worshipped, revered and reverenced there.

People today are doing just the complete opposite and way too many pastors, deacons, ushers, church mothers, and other church officials are just taking it in stride as it were, rather than dealing with it in a godly-appropriate manner. And I’m writing to tell you that God is not pleased with our church apathy. I mean men and women and boys and girls go to church services today dressed like they’re going to night clubs, beaches, or ball games somewhere. Some of them wear jeans, halter tops, visible thongs, hot pants, sandals and other extremely sexually provocative clothing apparel or not much at all. I saw a young woman not long ago wearing “Daisy Dukes” in a well-known local church assembly with her thighs spread wide and her feet propped-up beneath her buttocks in the seat. During the days of old, the church mothers and or ushers would have dealt with that type of scenery in an appropriate manner. I have personally witnessed recently on numerous occasions men and boys who wear their hats in the main sanctuary without ever removing them, and I mean even during the Holy Communion portion of the service as well … ouch!

Now you tell me that’s not going way too far pursuant to a total disregard and disrespect for God’s dedicated temple and for himself. Yeah I know, people say that man looketh on the outward appearance while God looks at our hearts. Let me assure you of this one thing, God’s knowledge of us is not limited to just our hearts, he knows all about us. God’s church is a house of prayer and for genuine worship and praise services for his glory. Some folk are turning it into everything but that and church leaders are awfully passive and accepting it as if it’s the norm of the day. I issue this warning in saying that God is holding somebody accountable! This column just turned into a second part. Look for Part-II of “The Purpose” in next week’s New Journal and Guide newspaper as I address our bodies being the temple of God and how we’re to treat them.

Gerald D. Tyler, an ordained elder with senior pastoral experience, has been a God-called practicing minister since 1977 teaching and preaching the salvation gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.