We all hear them; the clichés, beliefs and myths that are commonly said around the pot luck table or the fellowship hour coffee table.  Sometimes they're said from pulpits, sometimes they're printed on posters.  They're in our magazines and music, and we often accept them as truth.  Unfortunately, they are frequently NOT truth, and this often hurts our decisions and attitudes in the church world.  It is time to set the record straight.

1)  "You are now entering the mission field."  This sign, often hung over exit doors of churches, promotes the notion that anywhere is a mission field.  It is meant to inspire Christians to reach out to those who live and work all around them.  Unfortunately, this slogan has often caused a much more negative response.  If our neighborhood, family or workplace is a mission field, why bother going to, say, North Africa or China to serve there.  After all, our coworkers - even if one did muster up the courage to actually reach out to them - wouldn't likely kill us for what we have to say.  Biblically, though, missions has always referred to going to unreached people groups; going to those in our surrounding communities may be service, evangelism, or ministry, it is not missionary work.

2)  "Most people who accept Jesus become believers under the age of 18."  As Mark Twain said, "There are three types of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics."  While technically it is true that, in middle class American church culture, most 'conversion experiences' happen to kids under 18, if you factor out kids already growing up in evangelical churches, this is no longer close to the truth.  In the 'un-churched' world, most conversions occur among adults in their 20's, 30's, and 40's.  In fact, research  overwhelmingly shows that the best way to evangelize a family is to reach the fathers.  Of course, adult men are more intimidating than children, expect better presentations and have more intelligent arguments to counter the Gospel, so we cling to the misleading statistic above, and spend a disproportionate amount of resources on children's ministry.  It's just so much easier that way.

3)  "Love the sinner, hate the sin."  A) Let's get it straight, this is not a verse of scripture.  B)  It's degrading.  The fact is, we are all sinners.  We live our lives on one side or the other of the resurrection, but we're all it this together.  C)  We're so darn good at hating the sin, one might think we actually hate the sinners too.  D)  If we truly love the sinner, we won't have to go around telling others that we do.  Did Mother Teresa have to tell people what an incredible lover she was?

4)  "God will never give you more than you can handle."  This is also not scripture.  The Bible does say we won't be tempted beyond what we can handle, which, to me, makes sense.  Otherwise, we're all just like Flip Wilson saying, "The devil made me do it."  But the fact is we have self-control.  This  is very different from the above platitude, however.  For example, could this cliché have helped my former employee, Patrick, who could no longer afford his  medication, spiraled into a dark tunnel of depression, and took his own life?  Could it bring any comfort to Patrick's parents?  his friends?  I think not.  Sometimes even the best of believers just can't take it any more.  That's why we need each other.

5)  "Christian music, TV, literature, etc."  The truth is the word "Christian" was never meant to be an adjective.  In fact, it was originally a slur against this new, radical sect of the first century.  Roman historian Tacitus wrote, "The vulgar call them Christians."  This word is used only three times in all of Scripture, and it is always derogatory.  Then, second century believers did to the 'C' word what some urban black youth have done with the 'N' word and gay activists have done with the 'Q' word.  They began using it to take the sting out of it.  Still, it is a word that should, at best, label who we are, not describe a genre of music, and never, EVER, to describe a political affiliation.

6)  "America is (was, must become) a Christian nation.  Certainly, our Constitution refers to the Creator and Scripture.  Certainly, most of the colonies were founded, at least in part, by people of faith: Catholics in Maryland, Puritans in New England, Quakers in Pennsylvania, etc.  But the fact is, Jesus made it clear that theocracies were to become a thing of the past.  While Israel was both the people of God and a nation of God, the new covenant was for all peoples.  Thus He told his followers to be like salt and yeast: a small yet vital presence in all nations.  A presence, but not a monarchy. 

7)  "Jesus is coming, are you ready?"  I see two error sin this statement.  I sincerely believe, that, while the end of history is a clear prophesy throughout Scripture, the details do NOT 'all line up' yet.  The strongest support I have for this view is that a full 1/3 of all language groups have no Gospel presence.  This 1/3 is, statistically, a small percentage of the world's actual population, but it takes just as much time and effort to reach a small language / people group as it does to reach a large one.  Perhaps more.  And Jesus was clear that ALL nations, tribes and tongues would be represented in the kingdom of God.  Furthermore, the fear of Jesus returning is not the way to do evangelism.  All mentions of the end of history in Scripture were directed toward the church to tell them to get their act together.  Evangelism was always about hope and grace, not fear.

No doubt this is a blog that could easily have a part 2 some day, because we're so good at clichés, so stay tuned.  I'm sure there'll be more to come.