June 06, 2008
Equality
I think it’s safe to say that, in one fashion or another, all churches support missionaries on the field. It’s interesting to me that Paul gives us the example of the Macedonian churches supporting other churches. I don’t think we see that same grace of giving played out today. We don’t support our own denominational churches in neighboring towns, much less support the church down the street. Yes, we may join forces on a project that benefits the Christian community, but we don’t support the needs of other churches. Seriously, aside from a national disaster I can’t imagine any of our congregations contributing to the building fund of another church or helping them with the needs of their shut-ins. Paul says, “Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality…” (2 Cor 8:13-14 NIV) I wonder what equality amongst our churches might look like.
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Gail;
-----There has to be a real deficiency of Biblical understanding to maintain the Christianity of the local church. Not that it is with much shame someone holds to the idea, for the church has been divided down into little congregational units nearly as long as it has existed. This is what we have learned from history. Although denominational structure presents some appearance of a body unified in love by supporting churches with budget shortfalls, cold, stone hard division between denominations blows that appearance out of the water.
-----The New Testament presents a church concerned about all believers where ever they were. Need itself was enough reason to send money across the Mediterranean. In his first letter, John presented aid and service to one another as being the validation of the new life. That aid and service was not tethered to the post down at the church the giver attended. It was stated to be without boundary. The church was supposed to turn the world upon its head.
-----But shortly after the turn of the second century, there the church was, turned upon its head by human nature, its boundless love not likely to go beyond the bounds of its own walls. And two thousand years later all we have found to improve the situation is the pronouncement of some liturgical phrase to the effect that “it is all about God.”
Love in spite of the condition,
Steve Corey
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