Country music is dangerous. Though I grew up in Kansas, I fought enjoying country music for the longest time. However, as most country music fans will tell you, should you ever find yourself exposed to it for any length of time country music is bound to grow on you. It’s just one of those things that gets into your blood whether you want it there or not. Because of that, exposure to it can be a dangerous thing. The longer you listen to it, the more likely it is to grow on you. Such was my own entry into the genre, which began when my parents began to play George Strait’s Pure Country Soundtrack over and over again in our car, every time that we drove somewhere…no matter where we were going. Though I complained at first, it wasn’t long before I found myself standing in a music store purchasing the very same CD with my own hard-earned money. I remember one such song from the early 1990’s, written by artist Aaron Tippin, with a refrain that begins and ends with the phrase: “You’ve got to stand for something, or you’ll fall for anything.” Truer words were perhaps never spoken.
Have you ever stopped to consider why you believe what you believe? If not, then you are very likely susceptible to the worst kinds of persuasion. Such is the place of church Dogma. Dogma (or doctrine as it is sometimes called) does not exist as a litmus test to determine who is and is not allowed into the presence of God. Rather, dogma is simply nothing more than a reasoned attempt to try to understand why we believe what we believe.
This February, join me as we explore our doctrines about things like God, original sin, and the return of Christ. Somewhere along the way, you might just find your place in the doctrinal web, and discover why you believe what you believe about the most important things in life!