3 of 26

Write now Article Tools

I have a friend who says ,ost American Christians have just enough Christianity to inoculate them from the real thing. It grates on the ear to hear this; yet it rings with some truth. A slightly less judgmental position recognizes that while this statement contains the truth it misses the reason. To use another Christian one liner, no one is born a Christian. However, many are fond of saying I'm a cradle. Where the blank is filled in with your denomination: as in, I'm a cradle Episcopalian. It just doesn't work this way. Yes, kids who grow up going to church get religious and Bible facts . They pick up some spirituality by osmosis. However, to be more than a church attendee, to be a follower of Jesus, takes a commitment and a connection with the Living Lord.

There was a middle aged woman in one of our congregations. She grew up in church. She attended Sunday School, served on the Altar Guild, was part of the church governing body. Anyone who knew her would testify that she was a good person. However, when she got involved in a business with some serious active Christians, her life was changed. They knew their Bible, tithed their income and took their faith in Jesus personally. At first she felt awkward around them. Then she began to feel jealous of their positive attitudes. Finally she experienced a conversion and became what she called Bibled. She was no longer a Sunday Morning Christian who visited God at his house on Sunday. Now she seeks His presence daily and has a hunger to read and understand the Bible.

There was a man in our congregation years ago. He was a Sunday Morning Christian, and I don't mean every Sunday either. One day he went to a revival and got saved. Several weeks later he came to me and said, Father, isn't God great? At the same time I got saved you started to preach better! When you are more than a Sunday Morning Christian, God can get his message across a whole lot easier.

The same can happen by just reading the Bible. The Rev. Harley Swiggam, author of The Bethel Bible Series gives an example in his own testimony. He got turned off by church as a young man. He thought all Christians were hypocrites. During WWII he was in the Pacific theater of the War. He was in supplies and spent most of the time isolated on an Island with little to do. At first he drank a lot and did what ever wild living was available. Finally out of boredom he picked up a Gideon Bible and began to read. In the process he had what he calls a confrontation with the text. God spoke to him through his living word and Harley was converted. He became not only more than a Sunday Christian. He began an outstanding Bible Teacher and launched a Bible Study that tens of thousands of other Christians have used to have a confrontation with the text.

If you are just a Sunday Morning Christian, or not even a Christian at all, I challenge you to pick up a Bible and let God speak to you.

Learn more about this author, Geoffrey Schmitt.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Sunday morning Christians?
We want to hear your view. Write now!