Loopholes

    There has been a fad in recent years of churches changing their names. In Kalispell, what was the Christian Center is now called Canvas, the Alliance Church on the west side of town became Adventure, Evergreen Alliance allied with a different group entirely and is now Trailhead. A name that always amuses me as we pass through Polson, is a church called Movement. I can't help but think of the Red Green Show where the name of the Possom Lake newspaper was the Daily Movement. My church home, Central Bible Church, wants to keep the Bible in the center of our name just like it has always been in our theology.

   The first few chapters of this year's Bible study of Romans shows Gentiles looking away from God to sin for satisfaction, and the Jews looking to the Law for righteousness. Neither of those things work, but fellowship with our own kind makes us feel good about ourselves, so I have a suggestion for a name that might make a church incredibly popular-- The Loophole. We are born looking for loopholes. Adam found a loophole when he blamed Eve (and the Lord who gave her to him) for his disobedience. Eve looked for a loophole when she blamed her sin on the serpent. Even non-verbal toddlers confronted for committing a no-no like writing on a wall, book, or themselves, will point to a sibling, the dog, even mommy. Grown up Christians do the same thing every time we justify our sin. And worldly culture, though scoffing at the very idea of sin, automatically blame shifts when they get caught doing something they shouldn't. 

    Since it is in our nature to look for loopholes, and church names now make trendy, but vague, statements about ideology, The Loophole is certain to be seeker friendly. They could still use the Bible, but instead of expounding on its teachings, they could explain them away. However, I would not want to go to a church full of people who take no responsibility for their own bad decisions. Who wants to fellowship with felons, forecasters (weather/economic/pollsters) and politicians? I will stick with the saved sinners I spend time with now, and when the Bible bumps me in the behind, I may still blame shift, but I don't have enough faith to believe that God's holy Word leaves us loopholes.