The Church In Town
IllustrationPoem★★★★There was a church in our town and it was worldly wise. It tried to pay the preacher by selling cakes and pies. The sisters made the ice cream to send the gospel far. They ladled out the oyster stew and raffled off a car.
They had a harmless game of cards to make the social pay. And then a dance for timid souls who were to shy to pray.
The effort was a great success from floor to lightning rod, The church had everything it needed, except the peace of God. That’s not God’s plan. Let’s say Amen out there. God has a system so that I don’t even know who pays my salary.
All I know is, I get a check every month. I asked my office not even to hand it to me. Deposit it because I’m often traveling. Put it in the bank.
And money’s not a big deal. If I had thought that it was I wouldn’t be a preacher, I’d be something else. But I came in here to serve the Lord.
He takes care of our needs. And he takes care of our needs adequately. We don’t beg. We don’t hint for things.
And if God tells me to preach a tough message, I preach it, cause you don’t put the beans on my table! (Ha Ha Ha!) Bless the Lord for the system that came down from heaven.
C. D. Brooks.
The point
A worldly church funded itself through cakes, ice cream, oyster stew, raffles, cards, and dancing—yet lacked God's peace. A cautionary poem about substituting methods for message.