Tuesdays and Thursdays

     Yes, I know it's Wednesday!  Tuesdays and Thursdays are days of the week that have had considerable merit in my life over the years.  They first came to my attention when I was a police officer and then later in various other careers.  Tuesdays and Thursdays came to mean more to me when I passed the 65 barrier.  You see, Tuesdays and Thursdays are days of the week when senior citizens go out for the sales, specials and activities that are directed to that age group and above.  I know that I am stereotyping a group of people.  I'm one of them so I can do that if I want.  They are on the road driving slower than anyone else, taking so much time parking that the people go around them, crowd the aisle in the stores and fill the beauty parlors.  They are also out to medical appointments and trips to the senior centers.  On Tuesdays and Thursdays you will see them everywhere doing everything at slow speed.  You may be wondering what this has to do with Christianity.  Everything!
     I've just stereotyped a whole age group of people from 65 (some before that) to over 100.  Not everyone fits the stereotype though.  In fact the stereotype has changed some over the years.  With the advent of many new inventions and technology galore, this group of people are changing as well.  There are those who are grandparents and parents to their grandchildren for one reason or another.  There are those who are working into their 80's and older because their Social Security check doesn't cover all that they need in their lives.  There are those who no longer drive and those who drive others around all because of their abilities or the decline of those abilities.  When you think about it, every generation can be stereotyped and put within a box of some sort.  Boxes are designed to confine people.  Should there be an act outside of the box there must be something wrong with you.  When that happens well intentioned doctors, relatives and others intrude where they haven't been invited and all hell breaks loose.
      When I use the word "Christian" all kinds of stereotyping goes on almost immediately.  Christians fall into so many different categories according to the world.  They seem to have been either on one extreme of liberalism or the other extreme of conservative to whomever has a need to box them up and ship them out.  Denominationalism is the act of creating different groups because they have chosen to believe the Bible says something different than others think.  Heaven forbid we just take the Word as God thinks!  Pretending to be right, everyone else is wrong.  Whether or not you do this or don't do that you are obviously believing in vain.  Some don't believe at all and pretend for whatever reason to belong.  Maybe it's just to belong somewhere.  In any case, there are stereotyped groups that spend so much time telling everyone they are right and everyone else is wrong that Jesus is not even preached.  Clamoring for church membership and tithes pastors forget that the Christian church isn't about that; it's about Jesus.
     Jesus isn't just around on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  He's around every day.  Jesus isn't just in his 30's but he is able to meet the 10 year old the same as he would a 86 year old.  Jesus doesn't just go to one group or one denomination.  Jesus goes to everyone.  He never ordained and never will ordain a denomination or a religious group or even a cult.  Jesus is all in all.  Take God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit or don't take them at all.  It's only by the name of Jesus that anyone can be saved.  Sorry, baptism doesn't do it and neither does youth group or adult bible studies.  If you don't know Jesus as a personal savior, you don't know him at all.  Christianity isn't about Tuesday and Thursdays (or Wednesday night and Sunday morning).  Christianity isn't about the rituals mankind has made that form the box that quite frankly Jesus doesn't fit in.  Christianity isn't about our making Him in our image; it's about us discovering the image of God within us as we die and have Jesus live through us.  So, take whatever box you have and break it up and use it to light a fire on the hill for everyone to see.  Then simply say the name "Jesus".  They will come.