Playing in the Boiler Room

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, for it is the power of

God to salvation for everyone who believes.”

Over the past few years Americans have focused on our freedoms.  We emphatically expressed our freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of individuality, and some new freedoms we never knew we possessed. 

Then came 9-11. 

I remember that suddenly we focused on our freedom of family relationships and freedom of religion. Church attendance rose and contact was made in strained family relationships.   It was terrible that it takes a tragedy to get people to focus on what is really important.  Now it is Japan and the events surrounding that country.  What is next? Are we waiting to see where it happens next? 

 During crisis we take our freedom of family and religion seriously. But have you ever thought how you would conduct your life if those two freedoms were taken away?

When I was a child, every Tuesday night was choir practice for my parents.  Often there was no one to watch us, so a group of 7-11 year olds played together in the church.  We had been taught about the early Christians and the great persecutions.  History told us that they loved the Lord so much that they held church in catacombs (tombs in caves).  We hardly understood the meaning of such big words, all we wanted to do was play church in the catacombs.

Our church in Ohio had a dingy basement and in one corner was a boiler room.  So while the choir was practicing upstairs, we went to the boiler room.  This area was dirty, smelled of oil, and was poorly lit with one bare light bulb overhead.  To us it was a perfect place for church.

The oldest in the group acted as our “pastor”.  We would listen for the choir to sing and then we would sing.  The lights were extremely dim, but our pastor preached anyway.  That 11-year old gave us his best hell-fire, and brimstone sermons, telling us to not be ashamed of the Gospel and to be saved. What I recall most was listening to our pastor with one ear and for a parent coming down the stairs to find us with the other.  It did not take long for us to get caught because the smell of kerosene oil on our clothes gave us away.

Yet there are people in the world today who live that story every day of their lives. 

We need to ask ourselves some questions.  What would we do if our freedom of worshiping the Lord was taken away?  Would we blend in and not talk to others about it?  Would we change the subject if it was brought up in a conversation?  Would our witness as a Christian shine in those times of trouble?

The reality today is that some people who have a relationship with the Lord act as if their freedom is gone from Monday through Saturday.  After they walk out of the safety of the church building, they won’t mention the Lord until the next Sunday.  These people haven’t even waited until our freedoms are taken away to act as if they were.  They seem to be ashamed of the Gospel and its power. 

Do we live our lives as if the wonderful news of our Savior has little to do with our daily life?  It’s time to look at ourselves.  Is it time for a change?  In your prayers today, ask the Lord for boldness and the opportunity to talk about Him to others.  As a Christian, you have a story to tell and the freedom to express it.  It will not start through a religion but in a relationship with the creator of the universe.

Don’t be ashamed of the Good News!