March 12, 2007
AWOL
A small church on Colorado’s Eastern Slope struggled through a split in the congregation and the hiring of another pastor. With waning attendance the new pastor decided membership would be determined by tithing records and attendance records. Members could not miss more than one Sunday a month or their names would be removed from membership. One woman, a member of the congregation for over 40 years, was devastated when her membership was pulled because she’d gone on a trip to visit her children and grandchildren. Adding insult to injury, her husband retained his membership because he stayed home rather than going with her for the family visit. Apparently there was no provision to save up and bank decades of past attendance. Developing a Badge of Comradeship, people soon began to laugh with one another over their non-member status. It’s not surprising that the non-members found strength in one another, or that the pastor and his innovative ideas have moved on.
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2 comments:
This is the right attitude. Laugh about it - such foolish action by another.
Gail;
-----I am certain in my belief that the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation have a definite prophetic element. The Church at Ephesus was warned that Jesus would remove its lamp stand from its place if they did not repent and do the things they did at first (their first love). Being the first of the letters to the churches, I believe the letter to Ephesus represents the first period of church history that roughly corresponds to its first seventy five years or so. In that time frame the New Testament was written, followed by a few decades from which we have scant writings. One writing we do have that was widely used in the early church as practical instruction reveals the extent to which over-lording had come by then. Speaking of baptism, it states that it should be done in running water, and if that is not practical, it should be done in a pool drawn from running water. And it discusses whether it should be done forwards or backwards and that it should be done three times, each in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This directive command for details of procedure is far different from the tolerance for variation which Paul insisted upon. This certainly demonstrates a move from loving the brother to loving the liturgy.
-----Now, John had seen Jesus standing in the midst of the seven lamp stands. There was one lamp stand for each church. In the throne room, surrounding the throne were the seven torches representing the seven spirits which go throughout the world. Many try to relate these to Isaiah 11:2, but I find the connection with the seven churches (which in the following centuries went throughout the world). Both lamp and torch extract light from the burning of oil, which is often representative of the Spirit. And there are seven lamps - one for each church - representative of the personalized relationship with the Spirit. Of course, the Spirit’s place in the church was to lead it. And at that point in history, between AD 100 and AD150, a new sense of looking to the popular, to the commonly revered, to the bishop of the larger Christian communities for direction on issues of church discipline became prevalent. So also became prevalent a slide in the spiritual nature of the church until we find her persecuting pagans into repentance in the fourth century, and then torturing, murdering, and warring with Christians of variant beliefs for the next several centuries. Hardly the evidence of leadership by the Holy Spirit. Very evident that the Spirit had been removed from its place of moral leadership, just as Jesus had said He would remove their lamp stand from its place, and men had taken its place.
-----Many may disagree with me, and probably do, but I do not believe man has yet relinquished the place from which that lamp stand was removed. We still see men come into churches and wage war with those who have been there for years, taking control of the church property, changing the effects and character of the church into what more fits their beliefs, and telling those from whom the church was seized to take a hike if they don’t like it. Men whom we regard as leaders of the church still tell others in the church that you must do this that way, that the other way, and other things their own way. They call it “reaching out to the young people”. Church leaders determine what trait’s a person must have and what lines they must toe in order to have a voice in the church (which they call a vote), then require a registration before that voice can be heard (which they call membership). But Paul simply called these things “beyond what is written” and instead of them he emphasized acknowledging one another. That served for him as a membership role. And he told us to look to one another’s interests as well as our own, and to strive to please our neighbor for his good and edification. To him, that must have been the “vote“. And Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit when he wrote these things. Yet we continue to follow this “wisdom” of man that demands a sifting and screening of its good and godly brothers and sisters before they can reach the fullness of fellowship. And I recognize that in some sordid way there is a necessity for at least some semblance of this people-conquering propensity to require certain behaviors, beliefs, and customs before recognition and full participation are granted by mere men. God has a t least granted this misbehavior, because it exists. But I am still trying to determine just how much it makes Him smile, or cry.
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