On the Same Subject

Chris writes.
Re the PDL, Toni & I have both just read day 21 'Protecting Your Church' so I assume this is what has set him thinking. (And yes, I know we are a little behind!!).

I too have found this whole section on 'God's Family' quite challenging, not because it is anything new, or because I dont agree, because I do, but just because it made me realise how hard it is to be what we are called to be as a church. How do you handle it when some people are not willing to do those things that are necessary if we are all to get along?

I found this bit quite encouraging (since I had felt a bit discouraged by some of what I'd read). Page 162," Be realistic in your expectations. Once you discover what God intends real fellowship to be, it is easy to become discouraged by the gap between the ideal and the real in your church. Yet we must passionately love the church in spite of its imperfections.Longing for the ideal while criticising the real is evidence of immaturity. On the other hand, settling for the real without striving for the ideal is complacency. Maturity is living with the tension."

Don't get me wrong, our church family are really great, very loving & supportive & striving to be what we have been called to be as Christ's body. But still we have had our issues in the past, & people have got hurt (us too on occasion). We all really need God's Grace when it comes to getting along don't we? Because if we don't, as Rick Warren says, we are doing Satan's job for him!

Again on page 162 (I obviously like that page!) he says "Conflict is usually a sign that the focus has shifted to less important things, things the Bible call 'disputable matters'. When we focus on personalities, preferences, interpretations, styles or methods, division always happens."

This really reminds me of an issue that has come up in a church I know of. The previous pastor was a firm creationist & through him the whole creation versus evolution thing became a real issue in the church. Now I know some people enjoy a good debate, & it can be good to stimulate the brain & really think about what we believe. But it is also possible to waste time on useless arguing that creates tensions (2 Tim 2 v23).

Things came to a head recently when a church member took a family service & decided to teach the children about his creationist views in a way that:
1)those who didn't entirely agree with his point of view felt belittled their's, &
2)Was not well argued so that some felt that they were being asked to 'suspend their intellect' in order to take what he said on board.

People were angry & upset, it appears to have hindered the return of someone who had drifted away & was just coming back, & ultimately the person who had lead the service was so hurt & demoralised by the furore that he had foolishly but unwittingly created, that he felt like leaving the church.

Satan is laughing his head off!

By getting the church focussed on a 'disputable' matter he has created tensions, hurt & disunity. All he had to do was sit back & let it happen!

This is a church full of loving, caring people, many with maturity & wisdom, & I am pretty certain that they will work this out together. However so much harm has already been done, & I fear there will be some casualties.

Let it be a lesson to us all, we must pray for & work for unity within the church if we are to glorify God & be the loving, caring family he wants.

PS if anyone involved in said church wishes to correct me on any matters please feel free.

Chris