Church 2.0

On the recent trip I had taken down to Arkansas I brought back a little friend. A Three-toed box turtle. I knew my boys would think I was the bomb for bringing them a pet turtle. And of course, I was right. They think the turtle is awesome.

I let them name him. They chose "Church 2.0". The reason for the name is this is the 2nd turtle we have had in our family's history. The first one we had about 10 years ago or more and he was called "Church"...thus the name "Church 2.0" for our newest addition.

Box turtles are cool. They have a hinged plastron (bottom shell) that they can withdraw into and be completely safe from predators. In fact, in Southern Missouri, where we acquired Church 2.0, the only real threat to a three-toed box turtle is the road.

The turtle has become quite acclimated to his surroundings with us and he has quite a voracious appetite. So he doesn't withdraw into his shell so much.

I know a few people that come to church and then seem to really get acclimated to the environment and then all of a sudden they experience something difficult and they withdraw into their own shell. Maybe, they stop attending Sunday School...or they say they need a "break" from a ministry they have been involved with...or they start missing Sunday morning worship with a regular frequency.

And when that occurs I know something bad is about to happen. You see it may seem safer to withdraw, but the problem is that most times when people withdraw they do it and they are sitting right smack dab in the middle of the road and they can't see it coming, but a truck is getting ready to roll them down.

When we isolate and withdraw from our brothers and sisters in Christ we no longer remain accountable. We can't see the problems that others can easily see. And we gently and slowly, kind of like a turtle, fall away from the faith.

And that is the truck that our enemy is driving in our direction and the one goal he has is to flatten us from ever desiring going back to Church.

Hebrews 10:23-25

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (NIV)