The Church And Recreation
Numerous are the conflicts within the Lord's church today, and, one that is destined to play even a greater role is that of the church and recreation and entertainment for our young people. The advocates of the idea that to save our young people the church must step in and provide the money and facilities for their entertainment programs are lifting their voices more and more. So they should not mind if some of us raise ours just a wee bit. And, as we have witnessed relative to other matters and problems, the plea of many is being built upon false premises and insinuations against other brethren. "Would it not be better to take a few dollars from the church treasury for the entertainment of our boys and girls than to lose one single boy or girl?" This is a statement made many times. This I know — if it is right to take a few dollars for the entertainment of our boys and girls it is right to take as much as we want or feel we need. If not, why not? These statements, it would seem to me, are designed to make someone believe that some of us do not believe in saving our boys and girls. This approach works well, like the editorial policy of allowing a brother to be attacked without the right to answer, but why will brethren dare use it? We say to sectarian preachers "Stay with the text." Brethren we need to stay with the issues.
The issue, of which we speak, is not the need of entertainment and proper social activities for our young people, for this we readily admit; but the issue is this — Where in all the oracles of God do we find that it is the duty, work and responsibility of the Lord's church to provide the facilities for the social and recreational life of our youth? This is the issue and we should not muddy the water. The editor of the Firm Foundation is to be commended for his editorial of April 17, '56 entitled, "Whose Responsibility Are They?" Under this heading Brother Lemmons mentioned a few of the plans being brought into being for the shifting of responsibility for the training of children. He stated, "We are centralizing everything — even responsibility." A hearty amen can be said to that fact. This business of centralization is getting us into trouble on more than one count. And, it doesn't take a magnifying glass to see that it all comes to rest upon one thing. A shifting of responsibility! Mothers and dads fuss and break up their home. They send the children off somewhere for others to train and feed. Old folks are shipped off somewhere for the "children" at home are too busy with the pleasures of life to bother about them. This writer has sat and listened to some of these aged saints tell about their boys and girls that were making a great financial mark for themselves and in speaking of them big tears roll down their cheeks as they longed to see and be with those they loved. Let some one else do it while we appease and pamper the flesh is the idea. Sad it is that brethren would make it so easy for such trifling kids to treat their aged so. Elders should know the circumstances of such cases and where the children could care for their aged they, the elders, should see to it that such support is forthcoming, or else. Let someone else do it. Churches had rather let some over zealous group of elders somewhere do their work for them and all it takes to accomplish this is a little money each month. I agree. We are centralizing everything, even responsibility.
We have witnessed those that desire the government and clothe them. This we knew to be wrong. We have seen parents that wanted the school system to take over the training of their children. This we knew to be wrong. We have known parents, Christians, that wanted the Bible class teacher to shoulder all the responsibility of instilling in that mind the Word of God. This we knew to be wrong. Now we are in the midst of a crime wave by children unparalleled in our history. And, out of this experience voices are heard, "The church is failing our young." So we get our "intellectual reasoning" in motion and out comes the answer. And, when it is boiled down it is seen that neither our accusation against the church nor our schemes are right. There is no doubt that the church could have always been doing a better job in its teaching programs. But, it is not the failure of the church, as such, when your young people go astray. Rather, IT IS THE FAILURE OF THE HOME. We as parents have desires to ignore and shift our responsibilities off on the church or just anyone that will take them, be it grandma or a baby sitter. It is not Bible. (Eph. 6; Col. 3; and Titus 2:4-5.) Alas, all of this spiritually crippling idea is getting worse. Some brethren are even encouraging no study and no spiritual meditation as individuals facing judgment. "We" have canned spiritual exercises now. Just dial the phone and presto one obtains his "devotional" for the day. Just like the fellow we read about that placed a prayer at the head of his bed and upon retiring would point to it and say, "Lord thems my sentiments."
Pressure is being exerted upon elders and preachers. May God help us to withstand it and in turn teach parents that when those youngsters graced their homes they became the responsibility of that father and mother. If my son or daughter does not grow "gracefully" then dare not blame the church of my Lord. The church is being saddled with so many "jobs," not its duty to perform, until it is nothing short of a miracle that the Lord has enough money with which to properly carry out its work. Is it any wonder that so many men are literally begging for support in needy places? Let the church tend to its work and the home discipline and exercise the body. Let us cease desiring to shift our work to the shoulders of others.