I was born a Catholic and became a Southern Baptist later in my adult life. In the beginning, I had no idea that the school I had just enrolled my kids in was a Baptist Church. I thought it was a non-denominational church because Christian School was in the title...not Baptist school...
When I was a kid, my parents tried out a Southern Baptist church for a couple of years. My aunt and her family went there so it was nice to see family on Sundays...My dad hated it.. I don't know if it was because he had been a Catholic his entire life or if it was because he liked his beer and got tired of being judged by the pastor and the deacons.... I remember one time, the pastor told me to ask my daddy not to drink beer anymore... he said that my daddy would listen to his little girl... I think I was about four years old... I later found out that this same pastor was not a good man (in my opinion)...A young lady in the congregation had gone to this pastor because her father had been sexually abusing her and she did not know what to do.... This pastor told her that there was nothing he could do to help her and left it at that..... So as an adult, my thoughts about the Southern Baptist church was not complimentary.. not even a little bit..
As I had shared with you several posts ago, when I started going to my church - I felt like I was home... I found some where I belonged and since then my faith and walk with Jesus has become stronger everyday...Had I known that it was a Southern Baptist Church... I would never had signed my kids up for school or walked through those doors...
I had became prejudice against all Southern Baptists just as many people have become prejudice against the Catholic church... I have learned you cannot judge the body of Christ by the wrongful and HUMAN acts of a pastor/priest... We have all sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.... Romans 3:23 As a congregation we tend to look up to our Pastor/Priest as being somehow holier than us....closer to God than us.... and when they show they are HUMAN - their fall from grace is much harder...
I believe God wanted me at this church... he wanted me to grow in Him at this church.. He knew my needs and He took care of them... Kind of funny that I did not see the word Baptist clearly marked on the church's marquee....
We as Christians and followers of Christ need to not show prejudices or judgments. We need to honor God by loving our Brothers and Sisters even when they mess up...
As for the beer my dad loved....I don't think drinking is a sin.. getting drunk is... tempting an alcoholic is... but enjoying a cold one....no... and that topic is for another blog.
