Sunday, April 22, 2012

I STILL Pledge Allegiance To The Bible


I had the privilege of growing up in church. My Grandpa was a pastor. My dad was not clergy, but he was always the most active lay person in the church. In fact, my parents were also the church janitors so I think it is quite possible that I spent more time in the church as a kid than I did outside of the church. As a result, I have grown to love the Bible. And that love started as a kind in the church. Remember the songs we sang about the Bible as kids?

The B-I-B-L-E!
Yes, that's the book for me!
I stand alone on the Word of God!
The B-I-B-L-E!

At the end of the that song we would all yell out "BIBLE!" Remember? Mostly, I remember the pledges. Children's Church would start each week with our saying the pledge to the American flag and the pledge to the Christian flag. Then, one child was picked to come up front and hold his or her Bible high into the air and we would then say the pledge to the Bible together. I still remember those words:

I pledge allegiance to the Bible
God's Holy Word
I will make it a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path
I will hide it's words in my heart
That I might not sin against God

Today, the Bible is under attack, even in the church. We live in a day and time when many Christians are basing their theology more on experiences than they are the Word of God. As a pastor, it makes me want to take my church and return it to the time of our childhood. In fact, that is exactly what we did last Sunday here at E-Free Church. We ended our morning by having everyone stand. We all held our Bibles high into the air. And together, we said the following words - words that are every bit as crucial for us as adults in the church today as it was for us when we were kids back in Children's Church:

I pledge allegiance to the Bible
God's Holy Word
I will make it a lamp unto my feet
And a light unto my path
I will hide it's words in my heart
That I might not sin against God

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