March 09, 2015
At The Altar
My friend told me of an
experience where the pastor’s wife took the family dog to church.
Apparently the pooch has separation anxiety and couldn’t be left home alone.
However, the dog didn’t just go to church, the owner carried him to the
altar when she went forward to take the sacraments. Obviously the dog owner was
putting the needs of her pet above then needs of fellow worshippers. Paul makes
it clear that divisions in the church have no place when taking the Lord’s
Supper, particularly that no one should put their desires ahead of others. “A
man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the
cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the
body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself” (1 Cor 11:28-29 NIV).
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----It’s always easier to dodge the responsibility of dealing with bad behavior by giving it an acceptable name. We just can’t think that a cute little dog barking continually and tearing up whatever isn’t made of rock or steel when left alone is behaving badly. So, we categorize its selfish little behavior as a helpless malady it’s so unfortunate to have. Then, of course, it never stops having that malady because nobody’s addressed the truth about it. And the good folks wanting to commune together with the Lord must suffer the indignity of the matter.
-----I don’t know how to deal with that kind of bad behavior in a dog. Somewhere between the feckless solution being used and the cruelty of locking it up in pet carrier, there’s got to be an effective solution. My best guess for that is to ask around all the people who must put up with Fido during communion. Somebody will know dogs enough to give the answer. It is what God made fellowship for.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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