CBC Worship Ministries: Devotional Blog

I have become addicted to the TV show "Lost". It started early this summer. There was nothing on TV even worth hitting the "on" button for. So I surfed over to ABC.com and realized they had the entire four seasons of "Lost" in streaming HD video. Now understand, I've tried watching this show at various times. I couldn't understand a thing. It was the most frustrating experience in the world. I'd tune in to an episode, and there were these characters who were supposed to be on a deserted island walking around hospitals, running cons, wreaking havoc and mayhem, but not on the deserted island. I JUST DIDN'T GET IT! So I started with season one, episode one, and before I knew it, I was through seasons one to three. I'm in season four now, so don't tell me how Kate ends up with Aaron, and why Jack has a full beard! I want to be surprised.

What I didn't understand, but what I completely "get" now, is that the show takes place in the past, the present and the future. But it's all jumbled up. So you have to begin at the beginning. Then it begins to make sense. I can't help but think that unbelievers who try to read God's Word face the very same frustrations. Think about it. The Bible is a collection of books, not necessarily in chronological order. What is past, present, and future is hard to determine. Prophecies of future events co-mingle in the same column as present day happenings. Some chapters look back; some look forward. Even when you lay out the whole thing on a time chart it is dizzyingly confusing. Is it so surprising then that people would resist when we try to tell them God's story? Should it shock us so much that people are frustrated when they try to read God's Word for the first time?

Perhaps we need to help people start at the beginning, and present a simple, cogent, logical "map" of divine history. How about something like this: God created. Man sinned. God sent a rescuer named Jesus. He lived, died and came back to life. He's coming again. Heaven. That about sum it up? No, we can't make it that simple. But as we interact with those around us, even as we lead in worship, we need the priceless gem of simplicity to be infused into our leading. Think about this: you could take all of the greatest theological minds of the last 2,000 years, put their mind power together, and you still wouldn't even come close to the theological brilliance of Jesus Christ. But never once did Christ dazzle men with theology. Never once did he speak "over the heads" of the people. Never once did someone walk away from one of his sermons going, "HUH??" If we're going to reach the lost, if we're going to be effective in worship, if we're going to see the Holy Spirit work in the hearts of men, women and children, we desperately need to follow the tried and true golden rule of education: KISS. (Keep It Simple, Stupid) That's right, keep it simple, keep it real.

Oh, and by the way. I can't wait until season five comes out. Will we ever find out what the black smoke monster really is?