March 03, 2014
Directing the Affairs
My daughter, who recently married, moved to the
metro area is now church shopping. During one such church visit Leslie
noticed that the bulletin did not contain any information about elders, deacons
or communion. When she had the opportunity to ask, a friendly woman said, “We
have communion once a month, but we don’t have elders or deacons - we have
steering committees. They seem to do a good job directing the church.” I’m at a
loss for words. I can just imagine the Lord cringing at the thought that the
direction of the Body of Christ is in the hands of a steering committee. Paul
tells us, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of
double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.” (1 Tim
5:17 NIV)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Gail;
-----I cringe at the thought of the direction of Christ’s Body being in the hands of elders. Of course, we lay hands on them and ordain them and pray the Spirit upon them. Then they go do everything the steering committee does, even adding one extra degree of devastation. For the elders presume their ordination blesses all their ideas as being God’s ideas. These visions from God steer the church into the same mell of a hess elders have been leading it into for two thousand years now.
-----Consider the church which left its first love. In Acts we see Ephesus as always close by Paul to serve the needs he presents. We see it being full of grace and knowledge of what it takes to make God’s Word come to life in men’s hearts. We don’t see leaders in command and demand of what others ought to think and know and feel concerning the Lord, or in what manners they should be baptized and eat and drink the Eucharist, or exactly how to express their loving aspirations towards God and men. It wasn’t until several decades later that we read Jesus’ letter about how they stand strong in patient endurance working hard, testing false apostles, and not growing weary, but having left what they had at first, being then in command and demand.
-----Standing strong, patiently enduring, hard work, and challenging falsehood all seem pretty good. But it is very easy to let an agenda become the point. It’s only natural that ideology becomes an agenda. So leaders control people through agendas, turning congregations into possessions instead of participants of more importance than the leaders who were actually meant to serve them. Yes, guys, Philippians 2:3 applies to elders as well (probably doubly,) and so does Matthew 20:26-28.
-----It’s quite a simple thing, really. It isn’t whether or not a steering committee or a board of elders directs the church. It is whether the direction of the church has arisen from the real needs of the people being the church. It is whether the direction set forth is for the good of the people who are now the church, or whether the direction is set for some ethereal group of “others to come” who never really seem to show up. These are a mirage consuming the place of those who already are. And so, the church is directed into serving the needs of the no-shows through leaders mesmerized by reaching out, but never realizing any reach within.
-----God did not give elders for the church’s steerage. Christ is its steerage, being its Head. The same Greek word for “rule” at I Tim 5:17 is the word for “gives aid” at Rom 12:8. It is the same word at Titus 3:8 and 14 meaning to “maintain” good works. Of course it is the word at I Tim 3:4,5, and 12 about ruling households and children. (And these are all of this word’s appearances in the New Testament.) Seeing its sense in the Romans and Titus passages, maybe we who do rule households and children should hold a clearer picture of agendas being the real needs of the children and households we now have. Is this not rather what Paul told the Ephesian elders, “Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son.” (Eph 20:28) (Care for…not steer and command.) This was the place for the lamp stand which, if the church did not return to its first love, would be removed from...well...its place (Rev 2:5). And ever since, elders have ruled from their “God blessed” visions, agendas, and theologies instead of simply maintaining the love taught by the Word (Christ, the Head.) Then, the more God “blesses” their visions, the more maniacally they rule. Like we say, “The rest is history.”
Love you all,
Steve Corey
Post a Comment