June 06, 2007
The Good Things
A reader told me, “I hope you’ll sometimes mention some of the good things happening in the church.” To be sure, there are many good things going on in the church that are worthy of comment, but they don’t always lend themselves to discussion and opinion. Paul wrote to the Corinthians exposing their observance of the Lord’s Supper saying, “I have no praise for you…Shall I praise you for this? Certainly Not!” (1 Cor 11: 17, 22 NIV) Paul wasn’t overlooking the good things in the church, but he was giving his opinion concerning their attitude toward the Lord’s Supper. His comments opened a door for discussion and correction – not only for the Corinthians, but for us as well. Attitudes and actions in the church are worthy of comment, but they aren’t always praise worthy.
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----Paul tells us to do all things without complaining, then tells us to speak the truth to one another in love. When a situation is not good, discussion of it can not be truthful without addressing the negatives. It may sound like complaining, but at least it will be relevant. When I was trying to convince the leaders of your church that they were being partial in serving the people in their care, I was careful to mention in each letter I wrote that what they were doing was good and beneficial to the church, but it would be great if they ceased serving the church with favoritism. I made the same statement in the letter I sent to the church. Still the leaders lied to the people about my intentions and message and kicked me out. In my estimation, presenting what needs correction among the people is presenting what is good about the church. It is up to the leaders to recognize the presentation of Scriptural reason and bring good to life in the church, or to arrogantly stand against Scriptural reason and hold the church back from what it could be. One then talks about what is.
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