Shiloh United Methodist Church issued the following announcement on Sept. 01.
“The nail that sticks out gets hammered down” is a proverb quoted in Japan. It is a warning to conform, fit in, not rock the boat. Often Christians in America know that pressure to conform. Sometimes it is blatant and in your face. But more often it is a subtle pressure not to be different. If you do the holy thing you are “goody two shoes” or a “prude” or even a “hypocrite.” It is especially strong in the schools and universities where faith can too often be subtly equated with ignorance or bigotry. I have known state university professors afraid to admit to being a Christian for fear of losing their job in the new “cancel” society we are in.
That pressure to conform to the world is nothing new. In fact, the pressure to deny the faith in order to conform to the world is the theme of the first half of the ancient book of Daniel. Daniel tells the story of the faith hero of that name, a young Hebrew taken as an exile into the Babylonian court, and his three friends. These young men are subjected to pressures, slanders, threats to their jobs, and outright attacks in an attempt to get them to deny their faith in the One God and conform to the pagan culture around them.
This Sunday we will begin a journey through the book of Daniel. It is an exploration of key concepts like integrity, fidelity, honesty and true wisdom. It involves tests involving food, dreams, prayer and worship. There are ferocious beasts and incredible prophecies of the end times. You will find the message very timely in an age filled with pressure to conform. A person of faith needs to know the limits of faithfulness and conformity. I hope you join us at 9 am on Sunday, September 6, as we look at “Holding onto Integrity” in Daniel 1.
Pastor Ken D Hutchens
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