October 09, 2006
What's Ailing the Church?
Prospective elder candidates at my church are asked to complete a nine page questionnaire. Question 29 reads, “Do you believe you are able to commit the time and energy necessary to be an effective elder? Elders at XYZ Church (name omitted) will be asked to a) mentor two or three other men; b) lead a small group or shepherd a group of leaders; c) meet weekly to pray with the other elders; d) meet once a month to confer concerning the overall health and direction of the church.” Where once elders were to ‘direct the affairs of the church’, now they need only ‘confer’ on the health and direction of the church. Maybe it’s time someone took the church’s temperature and blood pressure…I think we’re coming down with something.
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Gail;
----Paul instructed Timothy and Titus to appoint godly men to the eldership. One would expect these appointees to be those who have grown well enough along the objective set forth in Ephesians: growing up in every way into the fullness of the stature of Christ. I have been around such men, and I have been around men who are trying to be such men. The difference is apparent. Men who have grown into the fullness of the stature of Christ see and measure through spiritual eyes. They hear and understand through spiritual ears. Their time is not of the essence, their resources are always gleanable, and their energy is always renewed such that you never hear from them that common whine for sabbaticals. These men relate upon contact and leave you feeling like you know them a little more every time you meet them. These are men who do not need questionaires to be known. Some churches do not accomodate the spiritual conditions that the Holy Spirit uses to grow men into this condition. Other churches do not have the eyes to see and the ears to hear the Lord speaking through men whom He has grown into this condition. God help the church whose leaders have so far slipped from the mind of Christ that they neither interrelate whith others enough to know men of such spirituallity, nor have the merciful and humble hearts necessary to recognize such spirituallity when they do meet it.
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