I've been in the Deep South, read: Alabama, for the last two days and besides heat that I swear would give Death Valley a run (that's Death Vally, CA for all you Clemson or LSU fans...sorry), I also noticed that there were Bible verses everywhere. On billboards and churches and the sides of restaurants and on license plates...I mean that as a good thing, of course. But I began to notice that they were almost all in the King James version of the Bible. With "Thee" and "Thou" and "Shalt." I don't why I noticed (or even cared), I just did. Don't get me wrong, I'm not cracking on the KJV. If I did my wife would shut down this blog and perhaps leave me (in a pool of blood that is). So no, I'm merely making the observation of an outsider. Put your guns down.
The reason I think I noticed, is because it's not that way here in Richmond. You tend to see Scripture, but in multiple versions, I think the NIV (not New Improved Version...you were thinking that weren't you!) is predominant, but you see The Message and NAS and RSV. So that got me thinking about my late grandmother. Because she was a died-in -the-wool Baptist and she favored the King James Bible. In fact, there were a lot of things Grandma favored. And a lot she didn't. And beware getting caught up in the latter by her. Because if she did catch you…there was going to be some major ear grabbing. You know, that acceptable form of assault which is in the same category as kicking someone under the table, smacking someone in the back of the head, and just about every form of physical abuse my wife or kids hit me with. (Quick aside: Don’t grandmothers and other nefarious sorts around the world know that Thomas Edison became deaf from an eargrabber…just saying)
Then I thought about growing up going to church with my Grandma. Church back then was synonymous with dressing up, hymn-singing to a pipe organ, and sitting on hard wooden pews listening politely to the sermon. It was, at least for a little boy, quite a formal affair. Now, fast forward 30 some odd years later to the present...to where my family goes to church. While we have people who prefer to dress up, it is by no means a requirement. On Sunday, people wear jeans (shorts in the summer), shirts are untucked (including the pastor), a few of the ladies walk around barefoot, and we have cushioned seats (the shame!). Heck, we actually have a Goth woman at our church..leather, nose ring, and combat boots…and she fits in with us like an old shoe (that means good). I don't believe Grandma would approve. We even have a Christian rock band with guitars and a drum?? Whaaaaattt?? I think someone is in danger of getting their ear grabbed.
Now Grandma was certainly set in her ways, but her heart was for God. And, while I believe she would be shocked at some of the trends in the church today -at the breezy, relaxed atmosphere at many church services, at the de-emphasis in Christian music of the traditional hymn in favor of the contemporary worship melody with its rhythmic, chorus-laden beat, at the familiarity with which people talk of (and to) the Lord. (Guilty). I think eventually, she would get it. She would see that the important things - the Triune nature of the Godhead, the Gospel of Christ, the inerrancy of Scripture, to name a few, were still intact. I think that would overshadow the superfluous like what version of the Bible you prefer. And then maybe she'd let go of my ear.
