Prescription For An Ailing Church

Prescription For An Ailing Church

The church of the 21st century is suffering from a deadly malaise. In some places a corrupting virus has infected the body. Some of her members have turned their backs on her holy standards to embrace the more popular doctrines and commandments of men.

Writing of our nation, historian William Bennett wrote, "We need a 'great relearning.' We also need to restore this nation's sense of greatness, to learn once again about the great deeds and the great men and women of our past so that we might move forward" (Our Sacred Honor, p. 18).

To break out of our spiritual malaise, and to overcome our internal conflicts, to recapture our wonderful vision of restoring the church to her ancient purity and glory, members of the church of Christ also need a "great relearning" of what it means to restore the faith and worship of apostolic times. We need to read the exciting story of our history here in North America and around the world. Earl West's wonderful Search for the Ancient Order is the perfect place to start.

There are dozens of biographies of those intrepid heroes who blazed the trail for us. They were men who by personal sacrifice and grueling labor broke free from the confining walls of denominationalism and planted congregations of Christ's church in the cities, villages and crossroads of the fledgling nation. To them we owe a great debt of gratitude.

Read the Life of Thomas Campbell, the Memoirs of Alexander Campbell, The Life of Barton W. Stone, John Johnson, Racoon John Smith, Walter Scott, the Golden Oracle, Benjamin Franklin, Tolbert Fanning, Tolbert Fanning David Lipscomb and J. D. Tant. These men should be our heroes in the faith. Other histories and biographies are available, each one thrilling and enriching in its own way. Many of these books are yet in print. Most of them can be found on websites.

You will learn of the obstacles those pioneers overcame, the struggles to rid themselves of errors that like barnacles had attached themselves to the ship of Zion. See how they searched for truths they had hither to missed and their struggle to analyze the traditions they had inherited to prove whether they were pleasing to God or contrary to his Word. Learn about the traitors and deserters they were forced to deal with. Rejoice in the wonderful success they experienced. These stories will light a fire in your soul. They may make you feel ashamed at how little you have done for the Cause of Christ, or how little you have appreciated your heritage, but they will also inspire you to more and greater service for Christ and his church. As you learn the roots of your faith you will be more appreciative of the price paid for the treasure you have in hand. Let's resolves that we will relearn just what it means to restore the faith and practice of the apostolic church. If you follow up on that resolve you will be a stronger, more useful Christian and the church where you serve will be likewise blest.

Sincerely,l

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