Me, Her, the Boy and a Dog

This morning I got up and contemplated skipping church. In fact, at one point I said to myself (out loud), “Yeah, I’ll just go next week.” I stopped ironing my shirt and was prepared to just plop down on the couch and veg. But something told me that I should really go today. Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was the Lord giving me a swift kick in the rear, but after a few seconds of standing around in boxers and a t-shirt, I continued getting ready.

I proceded to get dressed, made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, grabbed my bible and drove the .83 miles to the church. Yep, .83 miles and I considered slacking … how bad is that? Though I decided to make the hop, skip and a jump to Blacksburg Christian Fellowship (BCF), the church I attended as an undergrad at Virginia Tech, I wasn’t really thrilled because last week’s sermon was painfully long; like an hour and a half long. I feel bad saying that about a church sermon, but it’s the truth, which leads me to today’s sermon.

BCF isn’t like traditional churches in that it is ministered by a council of elders (not necessarily “old” people) who take turns giving sermons. I like this approach because it keeps you on your toes and each of the pastors have their different way of conveying their messages. Today’s sermon was given by Keith Onishi, a missionary visiting from Venezuela with his wife and three children (all of whom were born here in Blacksburg). Keith was … AWESOME!

Listen to his sermon here.

He didn’t just preach at us, he shared with us how God has worked through him and others to make this world a better place. He didn’t just spout random bible verses, he explained how they applied to actual situations experienced by him and his family as missionaries in Venezuela. Today’s sermon was focused on honesty.

“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.”
~ Proverbs 12:22 (New International Version).

Before he got started, he asked each of us (and it was a PACKED house today with most of the students returning) if we considered ourselves liars. He didn’t want us raising our hands, he just asked the question. He ventured a guess that most of us wouldn’t consider ourselves as such, but then he asked, “Do you always tell the truth.” I’m pretty sure that there wasn’t a person in the hall today that could have honestly said “yes.” Of course not, Keith said. We’re all human.

It’s not always easy or right to be honest, he said, but it is what we should always strive to do because right, wrong or indifferent, being honest means not carrying the burden of secrets.

I could easily write a 20-page recap and review of today’s sermon, but who would honestly read that? Instead, I’ll say that I am not always honest with the people I love. I’m not always honest with myself. But there’s one person to whom I cannot lie and that is the Lord. He knows my heart’s true intention and only he can judge me when my time comes.

Keith admitted to the congretation his secrets and his lies, one of which was shocking, but I understood what he was talking about and why he was sharing it with us … because God tells us that by sharing our secrets with followers of Christ and to Christ himself, we will be freed from the burden of our sins and forgiven. Some know it as confession. Be sincere in your asking of forgiveness and God will know your heart’s true intent and if it is pure, you will be forgiven.

Wow, that was pretty heavy stuff, huh? Probably not what some of you would expect from me. This may make some of you uncomfortable to know this about me. I’m not some goodie two shoes who always lives life on the straight and narrow, but I like to think that I’m a good person and I try to do the right thing most of the time. Those that truly know me, understand. Those that don’t, I’d love to talk more about it.

Lastly, my confession to you today is that when I go to church, I feel like a poser, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, like I don’t belong there. I am a sinner and I am in no way perfect, but then again, isn’t that the kind of person who absolutely needs to be in church? And if you can look yourself in the mirror as a Christian and say to yourself that you are not a sinner and don’t need to seek forgiveness, then you, my friend, are a liar. Sounds harsh, but the truth sometimes is … trust me, I know.