February 25, 2008
To Whom Do You Go
As we travel along the road of Christianity we often search out experts in faith to help us along the way. As a kid when I had a Bible question there were three people in my life who knew everything - my grandma, my first preacher and the church secretary. If I couldn’t find a verse, they knew where it was located. If I didn’t understand a passage of Scripture, they could explain it. The first time someone asked me to help them locate a verse I was honored, but somewhat taken back. In an instant and for just that moment, I was elevated from being a student to being a teacher. What a compliment to be recognized for your knowledge of Scripture. Today there are times I still have to ask a friend or family member for help, especially when I’ve cut and pasted a phrase of Scripture in my mind and then can’t find the verse in the concordance. I find it interesting and somewhat disconcerting that I don’t seek out elders in the church for help with a Biblical or spiritual questions. Have elders become our administrative shepherds rather than our spiritual shepherds?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Gail;
-----Yes. I thank God that we can still understand what is real by simply looking at the basics of life. Look at who generally gets selected as elders. They are usually successful business men, or women, alpha types, already involved in the activities of the church, and basically familiar with the Bible. We have come to learn that the ability to maintain and maneuver an organization through its environment summarizes leadership. So we think the same should apply for the church, and these become the abilities we look for in our elders. Of course, we make sure they have the other qualifications Paul wrote of, husband of one wife (hard one for the women elders), having a good lead of their families, unimpeachable character, etc. But ultimately, those who sit in the role are rarely aged in the scriptures or in holy life, nor are they respecting of the actual opinions and interests of others. They seem bent on control more than they are straightened by the Word.
-----But should we be so surprised? Jesus returned to heaven. His Spirit did come to us, and It dwells in us, but even our submission to It is by our own will. We humans do not seem to be very good at willing submission. I lament the church being an organization and I complain about her leaders being directors rather than mentors. But the Lord has not bereft His church of her true elders. Just as His true body is hidden within any church, performing its true function regardless of the church’s programs, He has real elders amidst his people. They have studied and obeyed the Word their entire lives. They are not about control, although sometimes they are selected as “elders.” Rather, they reflect the Word in their lives, standing out amongst the others in their behavior as the brighter stars of the night sky. And as we might expect, learning the basic attitudes of the new life presented in the Bible, and getting to know your brothers and sisters are all you need to do to find them.
Love
Steve Corey
Yes the Elders at MCC are: computer repair tech., a farmer, a body repair tech., a mechanic, a DMEA lineman, a pilot, an investigator, and home repairman. Sounds like a bunch of type A's to me.
Tjshea;
-----Thank you for noticing. This is what needs to happen for our churches to get better: good people need to notice where the walls are crumbling. I am certain the two tech’s, and the farmer, mechanic, lineman, pilot, investigator, and repairman are trying, at least by their own measure. But the church is flush with “try” and bursting with “own measurements.” What she needs now is some success as measured by the Word alone.
-----The elders of the church I now attend (at least three of whom are women) decided a couple weeks ago that the preacher had to leave. And the preacher did not entirely disagree. But most of the people at the church did disagreed. It was a shock to us. We had just come through a tight squeeze caused by the pomp at the top of the denomination instructing all the churches to hire gays and lesbians as preachers, if so desired. After the church lost a lot of members, both the elders and the preacher admitted the need for cool response, patience, and perseverance. Then suddenly, “Abracadabra!” And the preacher’s gone! Gee! All of us minions staggered, hollowed inside. I thought we had committed to a course of cool response.
-----Come to find out, the preacher circulated a book throughout the eldership. As I understand, it was about what a church ought to be. And it even came with one of those handy little “grade your church’s health” self examination tests. Now the preacher and all the elders each read the book, answered the test questions, and found the church to be woefully inadequate. Lo! She’s gonna die! (Where have I heard that before?) Funny thing, Char and I had found this church to be quite warm and full of brotherly affection. But the book said the church was bad. The elders bought it. And so did the preacher.
-----Now I know that warmth and brotherly affection are not everything a church needs to sport. But you have to admit, the Bible scores such traits rather highly. So the questions that kept bothering me were, “Why another man’s book? Why not the Bible? If you all thought there might be an issue needing address, why did you not go to the Bible? If you all are not mature in the Spirit enough to understand the Bible first hand, having no need of another to first chew and digest it for you, why are you mature enough to be elders?”
-----It perplexes me that in a belief system calling its people to lay themselves down for others, so many leaders expect others to hold their ambitions up. It baffles me that people do not see the self-servitude in an elder bringing to church his concept of what it should be and insisting on his own way, even calling it God’s way, just because he’s been given a special seat. It disturbs me that they’ve forgotten servitude is the first concept of leadership. And it angers me that it is forgotten only in their hearts and minds, but certainly not upon their lips. Whether or not their decision in this case was right or wrong, the event demonstrates well the lost servitude, the forsaken maturity, and the usurped headship in the eldership position.
-----Good to hear from you tjshea.
Love does not insist on its own way (I Cor 13:5)
Steve Corey
Tjshea,
Thanks for contributing to the conversation.
Reading over your list of vocations brings another thought to mind. The last 10 years the position of elder no longer includes a blend of spiritually seasoned older men. Qualified retirees who once had time to dedicate to the office of elder have been eliminated or they’ve chosen not come forward. Those now holding the office of elder are still in the work force and raising families.
Gail
Steve,
Wow, what a new twist of events your church is going through. I’m grateful you can share your observations with us.
The door is always open for you to come back to my church and visit your old stomping grounds. Just be aware that some of the doors are now kept locked, so knock loud or keep trying them ‘till you find one that’s open!
Gail
Gail;
-----Uh...do you mean the old grounds where I once stomped?...or the old grounds where I got stomped? I would love to come home, but I think so many people bought the elders' deceit that I am not welcome there anymore. And I don't think I could talk Char into even thinking about it. Reaaly, when I am where she is I am pretty happy.
Speaking the truth in love,
Steve Corey
These are very interesting observations. The church body that I moved from a couple of years ago was lead by older men that had raised their children and had successful marriages and KNEW THEIR SCRIPTURES. Those men were there with sincere tears of joy in their eyes when my husband and I were baptized. They personally taught my husband God's Word, how to have a relationship with Christ, how to be a husband and how to be a father. At the same time, their wives (the older women) taught me how to have a relationship with Christ, to be a wife, and a mother. All in gentleness and with due regard to Scripture. Since we moved here, I have really missed their guidance and teaching.
It is so important to seek the Lord and study 1 Timothy and Titus before appointing leaders of the flock. They can do so much damage if they do not meet all of the qualifications and I feel that we need to make sure we find out more about who they are in Christ OUTSIDE of the church building too. I knew nothing about any of the men that were on the ballots for the last couple of years, but I was suppossed to vote? (I obviously abstained.) I am in no way saying that any of the elders are not great men. I really don't know them personally. I do feel that the condition of the church does need to be taken into account by those that may be feeling insulted for them. Do you think the Lord is insulted as to the condition of His Body? I know that Scripture is VERY clear about who these men should be and we should painstakingly follow those guidelines before making our choices. Both for the sake of the Body and the men involved as they will be held to a higher standard of judgement that will be placed upon them as leaders. This is really serious business that many in the Body take so lightly because they don't know the Word and it was not addressed.
So, I guess I'm trying to say I agree with Gail and Steve.
Sister Anonymous
Post a Comment