What made this so enjoyable was the emotion she put into each specific detail. For instance, "too small" was said in a high pitched, squeaky voice...."too tall" was spoken with a deep, booming, elongated voice." Page after page, emotion after emotion, she made the story come alive, in her own way.
My favorite part of the book was her emotion after he tried on all the hats and didn't like any of them....the shopper puts on his old hat and says, "just right..." The store owner says, "just right?" and Audrey would even say the phrase as an actual question. Then, the guy looks in the mirror and says, "Just right, just right, just right," and Audrey said each statement with satisfaction. And then, with a "I'm cooler than you" kinda statement, Audrey always finished the book with, "new hat......ooooolllllllldddddddd haaaaaaaaaat"
Because of the theme of this book, I am reminded of a debate that has been going on for centuries, in the Bible.....which way is the right way? Some like the old style, while others like the newer, more contemporary style. But that's not the only disagreement you see in the church today......all over the place you find arguments like, "we dunk, they sprinkle," or, "we baptize infants, they baptize babies," or, "we go to church 3-4 nights a week, they go to church only once," or, "I said the sinners prayer, they went to confirmation." On and on and on and on.....I could go. No matter what denomination or what practice each does, there are claims of "we are biblical and they are not," "we do it right, they do it wrong," "our way is biblical, there's is not." What do you prefer, "the old hat or the new hat?"
I love the statement that Andy Stanley said recently in his sermon, "My Bad Church Experience " (If you haven't heard it, do so now.....Part 6 is Andy's message)....where he says, "if the message of the church is for everybody, then the culture of the church shouldn't exclude anybody." Now, there are times when we hear statements like this and say, where is the biblical evidence for this....I'm glad you asked....
In Romans, chapter 3, Paul has just finished setting up God's righteousness and then laid out how no one else is righteous.....but he doesn't end there. He takes 3:21-31 to explain how we are made righteous. There were huge arguments going on between the Jews and the Gentiles. The Jews had this system that they were having a hard time being freed from and the Gentiles had no system and the Jews thought they should be under this system, but they couldn't be. Paul makes a statement that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles....now that statement alone would have brought on strong arguments from either side....there were obvious differences! But the differences that they were arguing about were actions, attitudes, historical, etc....Paul, cuts through all of this stupidity and says finishes...."there is no difference because ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Ouch! All, in the Greek means....all. The Baptist, the Methodist, The Catholic, the Jew, the person dunked, the person sprinkled, the person who sings out of hymnal, the person who dances to to a rock band....all have sinned and fall short. The playing field has just been leveled to the real issue, the only issue that matters.
We are all sinners, so is there now no hope? NO! Paul continues (vs 27)....."we are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ!" Thank God!!!!! So then Paul turns to the the Baptist and says, "where then is your boasting?" (not literally)..."is it in your mode of baptism, the Lords Supper, your tent meetings and revivals?" Paul then turns to the Methodist and says, "where then is your boasting? Is it in your sprinkling, your saying of the Lords Prayer every Sunday, Your Apostles Creed Moment? Then Paul turns to anyone one, of any denomination and asks the same question. What is it that we are boasting about that makes us more right (righteous) than anyone else? If the answer is not Christ and Christ alone, we are all wrong!
In many ways, church has created an environment that is mostly for church people, based off of comfortable rituals. If you grew up in any denomination, that is what you are used to...your old hat....and there ain't a thing wrong with that, until......it becomes exclusionary. Until it become, we are right and they are wrong and then we are doing exactly what Paul asked us not to do....boasting in things that don't matter.
But, this doesn't end with Paul...no sir (or ma'am)...James, the brother of Jesus (or half brother, ha) delivers the greatest blow here....(my paraphrase here) Hey, church people, I know you are used to doing things your way and you are comfortable with your styles and ways and it's pretty obvious when someone new enters your building and isn't used to the way you worship...they stick out like a sore thumb on a hand. They are late to stand when everyone does and they look lost when it comes to the greeting time, especially if they are asked to stay seated so everyone in the church can zero in on the target that was just placed on their forehead.....Y'all, come on...listen to this, "it is my judgement, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles, who are turning to God." (Acts 15:19). This statement comes during the time when the church was just getting started and there was a council of church leaders who gathered to discuss what should be done with these new Gentile believers. Basically, the argument was, "I like my new old hat and I think they should have to wear our old hat too." Even though the freedom in Christ allowed for them to wear a new hat. They were under the practice of the law but no longer the regimented keeping of the law that had become so screwed up.
If we have truly been placed on a level playing field because we are ALL sinners, fallen short of the glory of God....why would these folks, who have received the grace of God through Christ, boast about anything being right, other than faith in Christ Jesus! There is to be no boasting about any modes, any sacraments, as the true and right way....we turn into Pharisee's when we hold those views and arguments. Basically, we are saying, "hey, come to our church because we do it right....don't go to that other church, they got it all wrong." Unless they are teaching a message of salvation outside of faith in the death and resurrection of Christ for salvation, they are getting it right.
Which do you prefer, the old hat? The new hat....awesome! Wear it, enjoy it, which ever you are comfortable with....but know, satisfaction in that hat is not satisfaction at all. There is a much greater satisfaction that comes through the grace found in the redemption through Christ Jesus....that is all we got to boast about....and we didn't do anything to deserve it nor did our actions have anything to do with attaining it. That's something to boast to everyone about!
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