May 02, 2008
Throw 'em a Bone
During some recent church turmoil the elders descended on my Sunday School class and the evening Bible study. As they fielded questions and comments, they held fast to the party line constructed by the staff. In the Bible study setting an older gentleman boldly spoke up and referring to the present church atmosphere said, “We don’t feel the love at XYZ Church anymore.” The following Sunday, after years on our hymn free diet, the worship songs were all traditional hymns. If the leaders could only understand that it’s not all about the music. Can’t you just feel the love? --Gail
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3 comments:
Gail;
-----One must realize that a bone is the fundamental structure of a body. Although a body can not be built around one bone alone, the existence of just one evidences that there was once a living body, and there may be more bones of it nearby. One does not know if there might be enough of them to reconstruct a body or not. But one always needs to realize that he himself has a few bones of his own to throw. Now, after both sides have pitched a couple bones onto the pile, it may be a while, but given enough perseverance, another bone might just turn up by itself.
-----You know the Lord is always around those He loves. And you know He also loves those who make errors. Gee. It is a good thing He does, because we all make errors, some of us big ones, and others even bigger. So you know He is holding hands with both sides of the bone throwers. The Lord showed us in Ezekiel 37:1-14 that He loves to play with the bones. He makes living bodies out of them. And you know from what He did on the cross, He’s got a few bones of His own to throw. After having a bone thrown from one direction, another from the opposite direction, a couple turning up on their own, and a few pitched in by the Lord as well, things could really start shaking.
-----In the late Seventies, I rode a Harley SuperGlide. When I bought that bike, nobody thought I could ride it. I had never ridden anything with two wheels other than bicycles. Before I ever kicked its starter, I came to the firm understanding that I weighed 185 pounds, and it weighed 650 pounds. I was sure that I had some control of what we did together, and that it had some as well. As I spent my first week learning its balance and feel, I was primarily concerned about discovering the boundary lines separating my control from its control, and gaining respect for them. When I felt I had a good understanding and respect for who was in control of what, I kicked her up, road to town, and proudly got my bike stamp in one easy try. And it was off to good journeys after that.
-----That bone thrown by the leaders was, even if ever so tiny, admission of at least a glimmer of respect for the concept of shared control. It should have been given authentic response. Though we spoke, and now write, harshly of those brothers leading XYZ Church, they are our brothers, and they are loved. And although they have perpetuated the theft of a common fellowship in the Lord from many hundreds of other beloved brethren, the good in them still outweighs the bad, for that is from His mercies.
-----I worked hard to get them to throw a bone so that I could go with it to the victims of the crime and hopefully influence them to pitch in a bone of their own. But all the leaders were able to throw in those days were bones like the little anvil in the ear, although important, easily lost in the fray. But now I hear they threw a big bone. And did nobody throw one back?
-----A whole service of traditional hymns! That was a precious statement! The only statement that could have been more precious would have been a service in suits and ties, from behind the pulpit Fred made, with the communion table below, and the sounds of “We are sorry for what we have made of it,” issuing through the air. Even if it had been, it would necessarily have to have been followed the next week with a shaking, rocking, full band, guitars and all, celebration, complete with the genuine participation of the victims of the crime. For the return bone thrown is only noticeable if it is bigger than the bone first thrown. When this kind of conversation of action can become real, this pleasing of one’s neighbor for his edification, this realization that, to me, it is about the you’s around me, and to the leaders it is about the other you’s, and to the other you’s it is about the leaders, then the partiality will scatter and dissipate as bones eventually fly into the mix, taking on sinew and flesh, blood and skin, until from the love that it should have been freely and impartially about in the first place has returned to a fresh new living, brother pleasing neighbor, Lord glorifying body.
-----Or am I just reading a daydream into an old bone. I don’t know. I am not there to pitch the next bone needing thrown.
God help these guys get love right.
Steve Corey
My friend talked to two of her friends and they said, “No, we didn’t sing any hymns [on that particular Sunday].” Makes you wonder if a hymn, disguised as a praise song, slipped into the worship service.--Gail
Gail;
-----It makes you wonder about the information channels. It makes me wonder about my being too anxious to hear good news, or bad news as well. I've seen many lessons about first reports, and the more accurate corrections happening upon second report. I have learned the hard way to wait for confirming evidence from alternative sources concerning important news. But sometimes the news is so good I want to believe it, I want to run with it, and I get burned by it, again.
-----My sentiments remain towards Christ's church. There should be no partiality in it. Whether or not the leaders of XYZ Church threw the bone, the principles of bone-throwing remain the same when partiality is deeply ingrained. And my hopes and prayers that bone-throwing begin reamains, because my love for my brothers and sisters remains.
Love
Steve Corey
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