How did we end up here?!

I remember years ago in McAlester looking through the "churches of Christ" address book with Mrs. Becky. There was 5 or more letters and/or symbols behind each congregation's name. Apparently those letters and symbols represent the varying and different believes among the church of Christ..."one cuppers", "no minister", "instrumental", etc, etc. We aren't talking about Baptist, Pentecostals, or whatever else, but DIVISIONS (though referred to in the book as "distinctions") over believes in the church of Christ! Unfortunately we wrap that up neatly and throw it all under our perfect PROOF text of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15.

I recently had the stomach turning experience of sitting in a sermon where love, grace and Jesus was NEVER mentioned....and it lasted nearly an hour and a half!! Clapping, instruments, "laughing/jokes", cell phones and worldliness were the topics of the day and were pounded into the people like a nail into cement! I'm not necessarily against an hour and a half sermon, though FEW men can hold an audiance that long! I'm not even against preaching things that need to change, but when Jesus isn't the reason or motivation and God's grace for us is never mentioned in that time, I question the purpose! I'm NOT "open arms" and those of you who know me, know that! I'm also not for rules, again, those of you who know me know that too :)! I'm for Jesus! I pray for the church in Mexico, b/c the past legalistic churches planted here have over grown and infested and scared many into submission! It's always stuck me as ironic that a people who were FORCED into a religion even with their lives would come to love it and defend it so much! I have seen that for years now in the Catholic church, but I'm beginning to see it in the church of Christ as well. Please pray for the future of the church and that God would forgive our efforts to save ourselves and forget the price HE paid to save us!!!