Whats 1:27?

In Part one I asked if you have ever had one of those days where too many things happen for them just to be a coincidence? The other day I had one of those days, which
seems to happen more often than not. A quote from an author, a Bible verse and an email all converged at once to make a reoccurring point.

Here's the email
and the point:

The Bible verse, Jer. 22, was scheduled for the reading plan over 100 years ago. But it "happened" to fall on the same day that I received an email from My Space. It said "check out the new MySpace Local and see what has been reviewed in
Denver."

The title that caught my eye was "Top Night Life, Church."
I have to admit I was more than just a bit curious. Someone has figured out how
to do church and end up as one of the top venues? Maybe in Colorado Springs,
but not in Denver? So I clicked on the tab. The review included this summary:

"This
former cathedral pumps up the volume and praises the electronic gods on the
dance floor…

With several
bars, three dance areas, a couple of lounges and even a sushi bar, The Church
makes getting rowdy lots of fun. Depending on the night and the room, it
attracts crowds of goths, mods and club kids. There's obvious appeal to
ordering a drink and dancing the night away in a former church. However, it's
not a concert hall: Sound bounces off the stone walls and cavernous high-arched
ceilings creating some less-than-stellar acoustics."

The building has
remained, but the church is no more.

The building,
St. Mark's Parish Church, was built in 1889 and is listed in the National
Historical Register. The historical designation meant that it could not be torn
down after it was abandoned years ago. So, someone bought it and turned it into
a nightclub, and named it "The Church."

Buildings can end up on the National Historical Register for several reasons. They might be associated with events or people that made significant contributions to society, or they have distinctive
characteristics of construction that represent the work of a master. Some of
the buildings in Denver are registered for being the first in the Nation to
provide health care to tuberculosis patients, people that had been robbed of
their health by a terrible disease. 

It turns out that St. Mark's Church was registered for it's representation of the work of master
Denver architects, Lang and Pugh. The church didn't make it into the
National Register, only the building did.

I don't know what happened to the church, but I dare say that their culture is no more, at least at that site. Did they go to sleep and wake up too late? What happened to
the vision of Kingdom work that made them contribute so much, to build such a
great building that could be described years later as a cathedral? What
happened to the lives that were changed as they heard the Word of God and
looked on as the sunlight passed through the stained glass windows? Were they
disobedient to the Word? Is Dr. Sweet right? Is this an indication of more to
come?

The point: God commands obedience from His people,
His church. Justice, righteousness, caring for the oppressed, the widow, the
fatherless, are commands. They are not just ministry options. When His people
"transition their culture" and are obedient to His Word, they will
care for the orphan. And through the care for the orphan they will have a
lasting impact on the "kings" and "servants" around them.

What would the National Historical Register look like someday if every church in America did wake-up and get it? Would it be filled with listings of theaters, school gyms and community centers? Places that couldn't be torn down because the people that rented the space and met there made a significant contribution to society and changed the world. They fought the battle against HIV/AIDS, poverty, oppression, terrorism, ignorance and they rescued every child. They changed every community with a message that turned lives around.

My hope is that the future days of coincidence are filled with quotes from authors that state that churches are waking up and people are providing a "continuum of care" for every child. That the Bible verse for that day is Matthew 25:21 "His master
said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been
faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of
your master." The email is about a place that people need to experience, where people drink in the Word of God. And the point is that God is pleased with His church because we are obedient to His Word.