I Was Robbed! This Ain’t Right!

Last Thursday I arrived at our warehouse (where we store our fun stuff – moonwalks, games, slides, etc) only to discover that someone had decided to relieve us of our enclosed cargo trailer. The irony is that Pam and I had just been talking the night before about the possibility of taking the trailer with us on our annual Florida vacation in a few weeks to bring back a new moonwalk/slide from a company in Ormond Beach that was selling some of their equipment for a song. I guess God wanted to make sure that we made the right decision!

Anyway, I immediately called the police and filed a report, which they must have promptly entered into the system. The reason I say that is because on Friday – the very next day – I got a call from our local police department informing me that the trailer had been recovered, and I just learned today (Monday) that not only did they have the thief in custody, but that he confessed to stealing the trailer! Please pray for him (whoever he is), that God might use this time to save his soul.

Now for the ‘this ain’t right!’ part…

The trailer is currently in the possession of a wrecker service the next county over from us (where they arrested the thief and recovered the trailer). I was told today to call the towing service to make sure that I could pick the trailer up, and when I did that I was informed that I would have to pay $205 to get my trailer back!!! This ain’t right! They are charging me a towing fee and $20 a day for each day they store the trailer. I explained that the police had only informed me today that it could be picked up, but they made it clear that that was not their problem.

Oh well. I am glad it was recovered, but a little shocked that I get penalized over $200 for something that I had nothing to do with.

You Wouldn’t Wear Flip Flops to A Funeral…Would You?

A recent White Horse Inn broadcast got me thinking about the ever-increasing trend toward what I call ‘casual worship’. When I was growing up, I would never have even thought to attempt to leave the house and get into the car heading to church with anything less than a suit and tie…or at least a sport coat and tie. Ken Jones of the White Horse Inn recounts how he questioned his grandfather one time about why he was dressing up so nice on Sunday after wearing overalls all week. His grandfather’s response for the fancy duds…”Because today we are going to the King’s house.”

I mentioned to Pam after listening to this particular broadcast that, if we wouldn’t even dare think of wearing faded jeans and flip flops to a funeral to honor a dead person, why are we so unashamed to dress that way for the King of kings who was dead but is alive forevermore? If we are so careful to show respect by dressing up a little for a friend who is getting married, then why are we so disrespectful in our dress toward the One who now calls us a friend, who sticks closer than a brother? The ‘come as you are’ invitation by so many churches has degraded into a ‘come as you please’ mentality.

Michael Horton remarks:

Previous generations wore suits to baseball games. Now many Americans show up at church in blue jeans and T-shirts. How has the cultural shift toward informality affected American Christianity over the last few decades?

Is our dress on Sunday mornings a reflection of our reverence and awe of our Creator? I am asking this of myself as much or more than anyone else, as I have grown quite accustomed to showing up every Lord’s Day in Dockers and a collared shirt. Is this legalism, or a sign of a deeper problem with our lack of a high view of God?

Listen to White Horse Inn fellows discuss this HERE.