Wednesday’s Meatloaf
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Heb 10:23-25 (ESV)
Did you know that meatloaf has been around as early as the 5th century, it is the cousin to the infamous Italian meatball and for some odd reason it is the 7th favorite dish in the Good Ole’ U.S.A with the Good Housekeeping seal. The American version of the meatloaf claims itself in the origins of scrapple (made with ground pork and cornmeal) and was served by Germans that made their way into Pennsylvania back in the Colonial times.
The contemporary sense of the American meatloaf really doesn’t take root until the late 19th century. There are also international variations of the meatloaf, it is interchangeable with meatball recipes and can be accompanied by wide array of sauces.
You are going to have to stick with me on this one today because I would like to suggest that we take a look at our churches as one would make a meatloaf dinner. Now I hope you are not turning your nose up on this one because in a very real sense our churches can be looked upon as a recipe to make a pretty tasty meatloaf.
I was having this thought while attending the T-n-T (Text and Testimony) service at the Colony Chapel on the grounds of America’s Keswick. Chaplin Jim Freed started things off by saying just how diverse the group, which was in attendance, really was. There were Colony men, Colony grads, the wives of some the Colony men and visitors. He also stated that the format for the evening was different than it had been in the past. But not matter what difference there was, Jesus Christ was still on the throne and that we still could raise the roof in praise to Him.
As the testimonies started I got the idea of the basic’s that goes into the recipe for meatloaf. We could look at those brothers who just got in the Colony (or your brand new Christian) as the onions in a meatloaf. As you cut into the layers of an onion the oil that the onion gives off (or that inner struggle) could very well make you cry. We have the testimonies of those brothers who are preparing themselves to graduate. We could say they are like the green peppers (those coming along Christians who is really digging in). They can make a meatloaf mighty tasty and if cooked right they are worth repeating. Salt and pepper would be the next thing I would add to the recipe. That would be in the form of the Colony grad (the Christian walking uprightly) who has come back to share on how the salt works in an unsaved world that at times pepper sprays us along the path.
And you can’t have a well formed meatloaf without the support of eggs and bread crumbs. I would view these ingredients as the wives/mothers of these men (um…these would be Christian wives and mothers). If you want a sauce to cover your meatloaf I am quite sure you could find a variety of it in the visitors who are in attendance (the Christian who, even in travel, understands the importance of mid-week service).
We can add our side dishes as they would be in the flavor of praise music (the Christian worship leader) and our chef, in the character of the man behind the pulpit (this would be in the character of Christian integrity). But the most important ingredient is the meat and without it, it just isn’t meatloaf. I would venture to say that the meat of God’s Word (the clear need of salvation through Jesus Christ) would wrap-up this Wednesday night dinner.
Now I am quite sure that some of us out there have had a taste of some really bad meatloaf dishes. It was just thrown together to get dinner done and over with. If this is your mid-week service is like, maybe you should see what ingredients there are to work with. I am not saying that every mid-week service has to be full of everything in the garden because that would cover the flavor of meat. Bad ingredients will make for a bad meatloaf no matter how hard you work it into shape.
What I am saying is that it is important that the ingredients accent the meat throughout the whole body of the meatloaf. It will be in this way that the chef will always have people coming back for seconds…and look forward to the Sunday morning meal. – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a regular contributor to Freedom Fighter
Compass Pointers: “Many of you have reading the narratives of the churches of Ephesus and Corinth and have been nodding, recognizing trends you see every Sunday. You have silently wondered how the churches with which you are familiar have descended into such a state. You have watched in disbelief as fellow Christians, supposedly brothers and sisters in Christ, have destroyed one another, even while standing in the church itself. You have seen similarities between the leadership in your local churches and the examples at Ephesus and Corinth. And you have silently wondered: What is wrong with these people? How did they ever get like this? Do they not recognize how they are acting? Can they not see that? The answer is bit more complicated than a mere changing of the mind; there must be a changing of the heart.” Why Churches Die Mac Brunson & Ergun Caner
Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 10:9; Level 2: Proverbs 10:27-32
Anchored to the Rock: Yank some of the groans out of your prayers, and shove in some shouts. Billy Sunday
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