My perception is, that the church is getting tired of keeping trimmed lamps and waiting for the Bridegroom. Sadly (as I read a some posts on a recent NARLA blog--I wrote about this already) a few are cynical and critical of those who are into lamp-trimming.
This is to be expected-I guess-because half the virgins got tired of the whole waiting thing and took a nap. Naps are OK and at my age I believe in naps and awake revived. But virginal napping is a different breed of sleep because on waking the five were not revived, but were confused.
Confusion will be the Headline of the day in every church newsletter that is forward-thinking and brave enough to tell the church what it ought to hear and what it needs to hear.
Lamp-trimmers want to listen to sermons that encourage staying the course and staying close to Christ. Sleepy virgins may want to get on with napping. I guess what bothered me the most in my reading over the past week or so is the level of sarcasm--and even ridicule--that came from the elect who elect to stay awake. I was saddened by the dark words of one who found himself "amused" because some of the virgins were excited about the nearerness of Christ's coming.
George Knight, in his book of Neutering and relevance tells of talking to one (alleged) church intellectual who said to George, "I can't believe you still believe this stuff." Never one for lack of words George quickly trimmed his lamp and replied, "Well, if you're so smart, how come you're still in the church?" (read, among the awaiting virgins).
There's a lot to do while waiting and not all of it is glamorous, famous, or newsworthy; but it is laboring for the Lord, and what is more important than that?
Nothing!
Don't weary of waiting for Jesus. Don't allow the spirit of the nappers to infect your enthusiasm. Don't listen to, or take time to read infective, invective, missals that fly from the pens of cynics and nappers. Live in the shadow of the Jesus, The Christ.
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