Traveling to Louisville for Big Reunion at NACC

In the morning we will travel to Louisville for the North American Christian Convention. The a cappella COC and instrumental Christian Church are meeting to end 100 years of division. It will be an historic meeting - the largest gathering of our denomination since Cane Ridge. Jeanie, Allen, George, Dana, Brendan, Kim, our girls and me will be leaving in the morning. At this point in my life it all seems so strange. How could I have ever been so confused? How could I have thought that instrumental music was a salvation issue? I feel like I brain washed myself. One hundred years of division over a piano or a guitar. It just seems so strange to me now. I think about the people who come to me with problems like depression, sexual abuse, physical abuse, divorce, and people who are trying to break free from addictions to alcohol and drugs. I think about their pain and guilt and their desperation. What these people need is the Lord Jesus. They don't need to hear anything about issues like instrumental music vs. a cappella music. So I am resolved to share Christ and try to avoid talking about our history of division over something so irrelevant. Outsiders would not understand it because it is so weird. I’m happy that most of our denomination is together again but I regret that we split in the first place. It should have never happen. This convention is the right thing to do and I want to be there to celebrate at this reunion. However, I dream that we will move beyond our denomination and acknowledge everyone who follows Jesus Christ. I pray for the unity of all Christians. We don’t have to have unity meetings, such meetings have been taking place for years in events like Promise Keepers, Leadership and Church Growth Seminars, Marriage Conferences, Passion, Catalyst, etc. We’ve worshiped in arenas with 18,000 Christians at Marriage Conferences and football stadiums with 60,000 men who make promises to Jesus. These events continue to take place across the country and around the world. Christ’s church is huge! These events always inspire us. But it’s the day to day contact we have with Christians from other denominations that inspire us more. We develop friendships at work and in the community with people from various tribes. The main thing is that we follow the Jesus of the Bible. That’s it. That’s what we need to focus on. And when nonbelievers see our love for each other they will believe that Jesus is the Son of God.