ABSTRACT
As Christian men, the church is the hometown. As Christian men, the word of God provides a map of direction for living in the home neighborhood. Every year at annual conferences we give awards to the churches that have the greatest increase in membership, the greatest increase in stewardship, and the most gifts to special causes. We don’t award churches who are overflowing with faithfulness and zeal in the Spirit, rather, we recognize the ones who have “performed” according to secular standards. Many of us spend the entire lives, the personal energy and professional endeavors, trying to perform for approval. The treadmill of chronic performance has worn down many a soul. Even though God has given us a good map, we are lost to the gods of performance. The spiritual discipline we need, then, is to “accept acceptance” from God and live liberated lives of Christian joy.
