November 14, 2010

  • The Church and I: Red Badge of Courage

    Lately I've been thinking about what happens when the church tries to help sinners. Ok, joke's on you, we ALL are sinners, but think about it. What happens when, say, a pedophile comes to your minister's office, breaks down, and says "Help me, I want to seduce children, but I know it's wrong and evil. Help me!"? What then? I spent some time thinking about how the church could protect itself and its members from such a person while still helping them as much as possible. And then I realized that I was looking at the problem in the wrong way. Although protection is important, the mark of a real church (and a real Christian) is the wounds it willingly has suffered from people it tried to help.

    See our budget? We don't have enough money to get new carpet this year...we gave it to a single mom who ended up using half of it for drugs, and to a man who lost his job who never paid us back once he got a good job. Our members see him every so often driving around in his new car. They still wave, and they still pray for him.

    See that empty pew? The Johnson's came to church for a while, and we were trying to help Rick Johnson quit drinking. We prayed with him, and our men told him to call any time he needed us. We invited him to our homes and dinners constantly. He eventually left his family, and his wife blamed us and won't come back. We still love her.

    Notice that knocked-over mailbox and those egg stands on our outside walls? That's from Sally's jealous abusive ex. We helped Sally stop turning to men to meet her needs, and she finally left her boyfriend. He got some buddies together and vandalized our church. We're not pressing charges, even though we can prove he did it.

    THAT is the church I want to go to. That is the church I want to be a part of. I want to be part of a church whose members "lend, hoping for nothing again" who "suffer themselves to be wronged and defrauded." I want to be part of a church that helps people in the bad times even though those very same people spit on the church once they get back on their feet. I want to be in the church who lends money for the 10th time even though the last 9 never returned to thank the church. I want to be in the church who welcomes addicts knowing full well that some of them could endanger some church members, yet does its best to take that risk for the sake of saving their souls.

    The bruises hurt, and I find myself asking God why so many good people must suffer at the hands of evildoers. But then one hears again the quiet gentle voice of Christ saying "I did it for you..." and the comforting tears flow. And one is willing to go out and take their place again in the ranks of the despised, humiliated church...that is proud of its scars.

Comments (10)

  • I agree with you. But I don't think you will ever find a church like that, because we're all screwed up people. And I especially wanted to note your mention of the pedophile - there was a man in my home church who we later learned had been abusing his granddaughters for years. He went to jail (minimum sentence - his family was afraid he'd die in jail) - and when he got out, he asked to come back to our church. My dad, the pastor, told him no. Not only for the protection of the people - but also because pedophiles can't be in places where children congregate, i.e. churches, by law. So am I any "better" than the druggie, or pedophile, or adulteress... no, not by Christ's standards. But I think there needs to be a balance between blessing others, in the church... and letting the church become an enabler. 

  • I think you wish to belong to the church of enablers. Being proud of shame is simply unhealthy and unnatural.

  • I want that too my friend

  • Wow, what a powerful post.  This is something that has been on my mind lately.  The world says... 'you have to look out for yourself', 'protect yourself', 'take care of yourself first'.  That is not what our Father, our Creator, says.

    "But then one hears again the quiet gentle voice of Christ saying "I did it for you..." and the comforting tears flow."
    That one statement really summed it up for me.  All it takes is to be reminded of what He suffered for our sakes for the tears to flow.

  • Love this post.

  • The concept sounds nice, but I have concerns about it. The church needs to serve people wisely, because really that's the best thing for the needy person as well as the church. Like your example of helping the single mom financially... a smart church would provide her with groceries and other needs. A dumb church would give her money that she could then spend on drugs. Is the dumb church really actually helping her? Nope.

    A dumb church would welcome back a pedophile with open arms and assure him/her that all is forgiven... and who knows what could happen to the children at the church. A smart church would test that pedophile's repentance and then, if it appeared genuine, work out some kind of system by which the ex-pedophile would never be unaccompanied in the church. A repentant ex-pedophile would humbly accept these strictures for the good of the body; someone who is just trying to find more victims wouldn't stand for it.

    Being smart doesn't have to mean being selfish. The Bible says we are to do good to all people, but ESPECIALLY to those who belong to the household of faith (Gal. 6:10). Ultimately, however, the church leadership is accountable for the flock, not for the wolves outside. No matter how needy and pathetic those wolves are. Good shepherds don't leave lambs out to be eaten so that the wolves don't go hungry.

  • Me too.

  • Where is the "like" button. Lol  I just want to "like" your entry and can't;) 

    Bless you!  Good entry!:) 

  • Well said sir.   I think people have forgotten the meaning of Grace these days.  It would seem we are all okay with "turning the other cheek" a few times. . but then we run out of proverbial "cheeks". haha.  What we tend to forget is that the verse doesn't end there. . . it goes on to say if someone wishes to take from you, then give them what they want and more. . . 

    Now this doesn't mean that we should constantly allow ourselves to be walked on, but it does paint a beautiful picture of what it means to acknowledge that our place isn't here on earth.  We're here as ambassadors for God, in every sense of the word.  Many times, once someone knows you are christian, you become the poster child for all christians. . . .Who knows who could have been turned off to the church had you reigned down fire and brimstone on that guy. . . You win more with honey than vinegar, yes?
    If you really want to shock someone. . . forgive them.
    Good Post!

  • You couldnt say any better! i want to be a part of that church and want to make it to be that church. That vulnerability requires lots of strength and right mind-set, Godly mind-set. 

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