Church – Page 24 – Michelle Lesley

Yes Sir! That’s My Baby!

April 17, 2013May 5, 2025 Michelle Lesley

*Ladies, I’m about to address one of the most volatile, polarizing issues in the church today. Everybody, it seems, has an opinion – a strong opinion—on this one. It has torn message boards apart, led to the giving and receiving of the evil eye across the pew, and caused rampant unfriending on Facebook. Dare I mention this topic that ignites such a flame within our collective bosom?

Well, after that build up, I guess I’d better.

Lemme brace myself.

And batten down the hatches.

And find something to take cover behind.

Um…it’s your baby.

Well, maybe not yours in particular, but somebody’s. Somebody’s baby or small child is making a ruckus in church, and it’s distracting everybody within earshot, including the pastor, who is making a valiant attempt to continue his train of thought even though he’s not sure of his own name at the moment.

There. I said it, and I lived to tell the tale. Whew.

Now before you fire off an angry e-mail, let me backtrack for just a sec. Titus 2:3-5 says that “older women” are to “teach what is good and so train the young women.” So, as much as it pains me at the age of almost 44, I’m going to put on my “older woman” hat for just a minute, because I think there’s a teaching moment here for all of us. Yes, all of us, whether your best church dress (or capris) is freshly stained with strained peas or you’ve graduated to dry clean only.

If you’re a young mother, I’ve been where you are. I have six wonderful children in my family ranging in age from 25 all the way down to 9, and they have all been in church from day one. My husband has been a minister of music for most of our married life. We have served in churches with and without nurseries, children’s church, cry rooms, and “piped in” sermons. (“With” was easier.) I know what it’s like to try to wrangle one or two or three or more infants and small children during a sermon and keep them quiet. There were years when I got nothing out of the sermon for weeks on end because I was so busy trying to keep Baby from squalling his guts out and Junior from scribbling in the hymnal. Believe me, I sympathize. I get it.

Your baby is adorable. I don’t even know what he looks like, but I know he’s adorable. If he’s within a ten foot radius of me, I will probably try to get my hands on him and cover him with kisses. I love babies and small children.

I love that you want to have your children worship with you in church. That’s where they belong! I’m excited that you’ve chosen to raise them in church, and, having done so myself, appreciate the time and work it takes just to get to church clean, in one piece, and not hating each other (or at least two out of three!). And it’s great to have them in “big church” where they can start getting their feet wet learning how to sit quietly through the service. I would never say that people shouldn’t bring their munchkins into church.

So, please don’t see me as some never-been-through-it-herself, baby-hating curmudgeon, but rather an older, wiser, been-there-done-that mommy when I say:

Sometimes your child makes noise. Too much noise.

And, as much as the people around you love your child, it bothers/annoys/irritates many of them when they’re trying to hear and participate in the worship service. And that doesn’t make them bad people.

And it’s distracting to the pastor/pray-er/speaker/musician who’s currently trying to carry out his part of the worship service. And that doesn’t make him inept or unprofessional.

And it is your job as a parent –just as it was mine—to alleviate that situation, not the job of the people around you to ignore it.

Most people are reasonable when it comes to a little distraction. They understand that Baby is going to fuss for the few seconds it takes you to find the pacifier he just dropped, lick the dirt off of it, and cram it back into his mouth. No big whoop. And if it is, well, those folks need to get a grip and show some understanding, or the next time they cough during the sermon, you have my permission to aim Baby over your shoulder in their general direction when he’s of a mind to spit up. (Ok, ok. Not really. That’s not a very Christlike attitude. Sorry.)

What most people find unreasonable is continuous, unabated noise from your child. Five minutes. Fifteen minutes. Thirty minutes. The entire worship service. And that’s not limited to fussing and crying. Happy babbling and talking is cute, but it can be just as loud and distracting as crying. And for someone who’s trying to focus on worship or the sermon, that’s not cute.

You need to take Baby out until you can get him quiet, and then you can bring him back in.

Are you going to miss part of the service? Yes. But—and let me assure you, I say this to you in love –toughen up, Buttercup. That’s one of the things that happens when you become a parent—you miss out on things you want to do. You probably don’t get a full night’s sleep, trips to the bathroom by yourself, or uninterrupted conversations with other adults, either. Add this to the list. Yes, it can be discouraging, but cheer up! This, too, shall pass! You’re training your child, and it won’t be long before you will be able to sit through the whole service with him being quiet. Trust me, there are plenty of sermons on this side of Wailapalooza for you to enjoy with Junior coloring quietly at your side. You can make it!

One final aspect of this issue: church is not solely about you and your right to bring your children into the worship service (which, as I’ve said, no reasonable person who doesn’t want to get spit up on would dispute) and keep them there whether they distract people or not. I know the vast majority of moms don’t think this way, but for the tiny percentage that do, let me disabuse you of this idea right now.

Your role as a church member is not to demand your rights and have the rest of the congregation bend to them, whether you’re a young mother, a pastor, a deacon, the head of a committee, or just Joe Church Member. That is a narcissistic, selfish, unChristlike attitude. Jesus Himself said,

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

Your role as a church member is to serve your brothers and sisters in Christ. So is mine. That means, if you’re sitting near me, and I see you struggling with Baby or Junior during the service, I lean over and offer to help (Pleaseletmeholdyourbaby. Pleaseletmeholdyourbaby. Pleaseletmeholdyourbaby. :0) even if I end up missing part of the service. It also means that if your child is keeping the people around you from growing deeper in their walk with Christ because they can’t hear and apply the sermon, or if he’s throwing the pastor off from being able to deliver the sermon, you serve those people by taking your child out until he’s quieted down.

If we all practice what Galatians 5:13 says, and “serve one another in love,” we’ll have a phenomenal, loving, self-sacrificing church environment for Baby and Junior to grow up in. And that will benefit us all as the family of God.

*(NOTE: I want to reassure my friends at my own church who are young mothers that this article was NOT inspired by you! We hardly ever hear a peep out of the babies and children who sit in our worship service because we have some fantastic young parents who are in tune with their children’s and the rest of the congregation’s needs, and they serve us both beautifully. These parents and their children are a joy and a delight, and my hat is off to them!)

I just think this is a fun song :0)

Church, Faith, Politics

The Mormon Moment: Can Christians Biblically Vote for a Mormon?

October 23, 2012May 15, 2017 Michelle Lesley

SPECIAL NOTE: The scope of this article is limited. While all are welcome to read and consider it, the particular audience for this article is ONLY: Christians who are considering voting for Romney but are hesitant and wondering if it is biblically acceptable for a Christian to vote for a Mormon.

I am not attempting to convince Obama supporters to vote for Romney. This is a free country and you may vote for the candidate of your choice.
I am not addressing political issues such as taxes, the national debt, the military, etc. This article is of a theological, not political, nature.
I will not entertain any arguments as to whether or not President Obama is a Christian. Matthew 7:16, 20 say, “You will know them by their fruits.” The president has clearly demonstrated by his words and actions that he is not a regenerate Christian. Neither is his verbal claim to being a Christian sufficient to prove that he has been born again. Matthew 7:22-23 says, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord… And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you…” Claiming to be a Christian doesn’t make a person a Christian any more than claiming to be a doctor makes a person a doctor. You are more than welcome to believe whatever you like about the state of the President’s soul, but it will not be argued in this venue.

It’s an issue American Christians have never had to deal with before: voting for a Mormon for President. Maybe you’re a Christian who has been considering voting for Mitt Romney, but you’re “theologically hesitant.” If you vote for him, are you, as a Christian, supporting an idolatrous and false religion? Will Romney’s winning the Presidency give legitimacy to Mormonism? Will it further deceive the lost into thinking Mormons are Christians? Will more lost people consider becoming Mormons? These are weighty issues and should be fully considered.

However, I’d like to offer you the opportunity to consider the biblical argument for the freedom to vote for Romney if you so choose. What are some reasons you can consider yourself free in Christ to vote for Romney?

1. Romney is running for president, not preacher.

In Matthew 22:15-22, the Pharisees came to Jesus asking if it were “lawful” –in other words, “in keeping with Scripture”—to participate in a secular government by paying taxes. Jesus’ response? “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” (Matthew 22:21)

As in Jesus’ time, our civil government in the United States is secular. It is not run by the church. It is not ruled by the Bible. And, usually (Matthew 7:14), it is not headed up by a genuinely born again Christian.

This isn’t a theocracy. And God’s ok with that. After all, He is the One who, in His sovereignty, has allowed and maintained this republic for the last 200+ years, and has established the authority of every President we’ve ever had (Romans 13:1).

So God gets -established, in fact- that there’s going to be one set of standards and requirements for civil governing authorities, and another set for those who are leaders in the church. For one thing, a leader in the church must be a genuinely regenerate Believer. There’s no such requirement –in the Bible or anywhere else—for Presidents. There’s a whole list of requirements for pastors, deacons, and elders in I Timothy and Titus, but they necessarily, apply only to Christians who desire to be church leaders. They do not apply to non-Christians (or even Christians) who desire the presidency.

2. We have two choices for president, both unsaved. Does it matter which label they wear?

Romney is a Mormon. If he holds to Mormon doctrine, he is, by definition, not a Christian. Obama claims to be a Christian, but his own words and the fruit of his life belie this claim.

Jesus said that the way to life is narrow and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:14). Statistically speaking, if you have voted in any election, you have probably voted for a lost person, even if that candidate claimed to be saved. Simply saying you’re a Christian doesn’t make you one (Matt. 7:21-23), and being a Mormon doesn’t make a person any “loster” than being a lost person who calls himself a Christian.

While it would be wonderful to have the option of voting for a born again Believer in this election, we simply don’t have that choice this time around.

3. Since we only have two choices in this election, and they’re on essentially equal spiritual footing, we have to look at externals.

We have two choices for president:

A.) Obama: A person who claims to be a Christian, yet encourages and promotes sin in the form of promoting the false doctrine of universalism, furthering the homosexual agenda, and promoting the pro-abortion agenda.

B.) Romney: A non-Christian who has pledged his support of the biblical definition of marriage and the pro-life side of reproductive issues.

The great Reformer Martin Luther may have summed it up best when he said, “I’d rather be ruled by a competent Turk (Muslim) than an incompetent Christian.”

4. Refusing to vote at all, or voting for a non-viable third party candidate has the same effect as voting FOR Obama.

We cannot afford to treat the question of whom we shall vote for in this election as merely a philosophical exercise or hypothetical question. There are real life consequences to our actions (or inaction) on November 6. For millions, this election is, quite literally, a matter of life and death. Sometimes we have to think of an election not as voting FOR a certain candidate, but as voting AGAINST a certain candidate by selecting his opponent.

As Edmund Burke said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

5. All governmental authority is established by God. And they’re not always Christians.

Romans 13:1 says, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”

Think back over the kings, presidents, emperors, dictators, and czars throughout history. You’ll come across…

Hitler. Attila the Hun. Idi Amin. Pol Pot. Ivan the Terrible. Caligula.

God put those guys in authority? Yep.

Now take a little journey through the Old Testament and look at some of the evil kings God allowed to rule his own chosen people.

Someone is going to win the election in November, and that someone is not going to be a Christian. Our only option is to vote for the person who, though not a Christian, is closer to lining up with what the Bible teaches.

6. A Mormon president will not cause hordes of people to become Mormons.

How many people do you know who became Catholics because JFK was elected? How many became Quakers when Nixon was elected? How many became “Christians” (or, depending on your way of thinking, Muslims) when Obama was elected?

If anything, the nomination of Romney to the ticket has shone a glaring, and very public, spotlight on the many anti-biblical beliefs of Mormonism. Instead of viewing his election to the presidency as an endorsement of Mormonism, why can’t Christians look at it as an opportunity to help others understand false Mormon doctrine and the truth of biblical doctrine? This is a wide open door for evangelism and the public exposure of deceptive teaching!

I believe biblical principles demonstrate that we, as Christians, have the freedom to vote for Romney. God has seen fit to orchestrate events so that we only have two viable choices in this election. Both are far from perfect, but Romney has demonstrated a willingness to uphold standards that are more closely in line with the Bible than those Obama upholds. If you’re still on the fence, give it some thought, give it some prayer, and consider for whom God would have you vote.

Church

6 Thoughts on the Luter-an Presidency

June 24, 2012May 15, 2017 Michelle Lesley

Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Southern Baptist Convention as a messenger representing my church. It was an historic meeting, as we elected the first African American president of the SBC. As I sat in the meeting and listened to what everyone had to say about the election of Pastor Fred Luter of Franklin Ave. Baptist Church in New Orleans, several thoughts came to mind…

1. I don’t know Pastor Luter personally, but from what I’ve read about him and heard about him from those who do know him personally, he is a Godly man with a genuine love for our denomination and a concern to see it flourish in a biblical way for the furthering of God’s kingdom. I was glad to have the opportunity to vote for him.

2. I wish this could have happened about 30 years or so ago. I’m afraid that the perception from outsiders, and even from some Southern Baptists, is that, up until last Tuesday, there has been a concerted effort by the majority of Southern Baptists to keep African American pastors out of the SBC presidency. I concede that there may have been a small amount of that going on behind the scenes in the last few decades, and that even today, there is probably a tiny minority of unrepentant racists who call themselves Southern Baptist who were not happy with Pastor Luter’s election to the presidency. In a word to those folks: repent.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that African American pastors (SBC presidents are nearly always pastors) are a very small minority in the SBC to start with. Sometimes, this is because of the African American pastor’s own choosing, not because the SBC is trying to exclude African American pastors. I have heard African American pastors say that they were strongly discouraged by other African American pastors, friends, and loved ones from joining the SBC denomination because of the perception (and admittedly, decades ago, the actuality) that it is a racist denomination.

My guess is that we haven’t had an African American president before now (in the last 30 years or so), not because those behind the scenes have been actively trying to keep African American pastors out, but because: a) a suitable African American candidate could not be found, or b) the African American pastors who were approached about the presidency would not accept the nomination.

3. A lot of the speeches and talk surrounding Pastor Luter’s nomination/election were saturated with phrases like, “diversity,” “this is long overdue,” etc. Of course, this type of talk is true, and it was proper for things like this to have been said, however, as Christians, skin color and diversity should not take center stage when it comes to electing ANY president of the SBC. God should. The Bible should. Theology should. I honestly think more people were focused on the diversity issue than finding out about Pastor Luter’s theology, and as Christians, that should not be.

4. Because of all the talk of this finally happening and everyone –rightfully so—being glad about it, there was a slight aroma that all of these white guys were patting themselves on the back for electing a black man. I want to stress here that I absolutely do not think that was the intention of any of my brothers’ or sisters’ hearts, but sometimes unintended perceptions arise. It made me feel bad for Pastor Luter that he might have felt any hint whatsoever that he is just a “token black.” I do not believe that is the case. Quite the opposite, in fact.

5. I think there will be a lot of pressure on Pastor Luter to focus on diversity when he has clearly stated that the main focus of his presidency will be on strengthening evangelism and discipleship in the SBC (which I was extremely happy to hear). This pressure, unintended or not, is not fair to Pastor Luter. We need to be sure to give Pastor Luter the space and freedom to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in whichever direction He might take him. Though diversity is indeed an important issue, the SBC is facing a lot of important issues besides diversity, and Pastor Luter will need to be able to focus on all of them.

6. I’m excited to see how God will lead us as a denomination through Pastor Luter, and I’m expecting great things from him.

Church

You’d Probably Have to be a Southern Baptist to Understand: The Budget Business Meeting Edition

May 6, 2012May 15, 2017 Michelle Lesley

What people like me (if there are any) think about during the budget/finance portion of the church business meeting:

1. Lord, thank you so much for the smart and trustworthy people at my church who understand and handle our budget and finances.

2. I wonder how many pizzas that $30,000 they’re talking about would buy. I’m starving.

3. How many bake sales would we have to hold to keep the lights on if I were in charge of the budget? Mmmmm….cupcakes…I’m STARVING!

4. Uh oh, while I was thinking about bake sales, they called for the vote. Are we voting on the motion, or the amendment to the motion, or to table the motion? Wait, what WAS the motion?

5. Come on, baby, do the locomotion…

6. I wonder if anyone can tell that this budget report would make just as much sense to me if it were written in Chinese.

7. Mmmm…Chinese…

8. I’m going to raise my hand and make a motion that we order in some Chinese food and “table” it. HAHAHAHAHA! That would be so funny! Ok, maybe it would only be funny to me. Everyone else in the room seems to be an adult.

9. WHY ARE WE STILL TALKING ABOUT THIS?????

10. Why do I understand the motion LESS now that the discussion on it is over than I did when it was first proposed?

11. If you got the notion, I second that emotion…

12. If I volunteered to write a check for whatever it is they’re talking about, could we move on to something more interesting? Like, maybe: would a church member who writes a rather large check to divert a business meeting necessarily be excommunicated if it bounced? Or, how about the ever scintillating topic of ORDERING SOME DOGGONE CHINESE FOOD FOR CRYING OUT LOUD?

13. . …motion…potion…ocean…lotion…Goshen (5 extra points for a Bible word!)…notion…ummm…coastal erosion…

14. Interesting. The word “fund” starts with FUN. I’m not feeling any fun happening here. Anyone else? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

15. Bueller…Bueller…rhymes with Muller….George Muller (where’s the dumb umlaut on this keyboard?!?!)…yeah, George Muller, the guy who prayed for everything he needed and God just provided…I wonder how many business meetings HE had to go to….

16. I should start making notes for the blog post I’m going to write about this when I get home. Why didn’t I think about that two hours ago!?!?

17. Are we STILL talking about this???

18. I wonder if it’s too soon to make a motion to adjourn. I wonder if someone else will do it soon. I wonder if I’m going to have to do it. I wonder if I’m the only one wondering this.

19. If ONE MORE PERSON makes a motion from the floor, I’m going to give myself a fatal paper cut with this ream of reports and spreadsheets they gave me when I walked in.

20. Lord, thank you so much for the smart and trustworthy people at my church who understand and handle our budget and finances.

“I move we adjourn.”

SECOND!

Church, Faith, Sin

Jesus Wept

April 18, 2011April 9, 2025 Michelle Lesley

It was hardly a day for tears.

It was a day that should have been the high point of His ministry.

As soon as He was approaching, near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the miracles which they had seen, shouting: “BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!”
Luke 19:37-38

After three years of hard work and harder prayer, miracles, and countless hours of teaching, the people were finally getting it. They recognized that Jesus was the Messiah. His people were giving Him the praise He was due.

Or were they?

When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it,
Luke 19:41

What’s this? This isn’t part of the Palm Sunday pageant. In every Bible, commentary, and Sunday School lesson, this scene is called “The Triumphal Entry”. Why is Jesus over there crying? What’s that He’s saying?

If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. “For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.
Luke 19:42-44

Once again, Jesus sees through the outer display of behavior and lays the heart of the people bare.

They’re praising Him because He multiplied bread and fish.

Because He healed diseases.

Because they think their Messiah has come to set them free from Roman oppression.

They don’t get it after all. And that’s why He’s weeping.

They don’t get that Jesus didn’t come to give us stuff. They don’t get that the bondage of sin is far worse than enslavement to Rome. They don’t get that taking up a cross and following Jesus will get them something far sweeter and deeper and more satisfying than all the miracles and riches and healings in the world. It will get them Jesus. And that’s what He wants to give them.

And as I watch my Savior’s heart break over His people so many years ago, I wonder– is He still weeping today?

Every Sunday, we, Jesus’ people, offer Him loud Hosannas. We lift our palms in celebration of His goodness and blessings. We sing out His praise. We kneel before Him.

But is He weeping?

Does He see through our outward behavior to a heart that just wants worldly trinkets from Him? Does He see a church that draws near to Him with its lips but whose heart is far from Him? A stiff-necked people who deign to physically bow the knee but not crucify the will?

Are we the new Jerusalem?

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