Friends,
The
world is a mess, our country is in peril, denominations are shrinking, and even
local congregations are not immune to the pathological transferences of fear
exposed by anger.
Particularly,
our family of faith is being blessed with massive expansion; and,
unfortunately, this causes added stress for anyone who doesn't like to see
anything happen for the first time.
Moreover,
we have yielded our second service to a team of liturgists and worship leaders
that are praying and laboring to follow His lead in wineskin-expanding fashion
to reach the unreached for Jesus.
Hence,
while we are on the verge of the greatest revival in the history of the corner
of Lincoln and Main, we will have a trickle to stream of folks from the
church for reasons other than Christocentric or Biblical.
There
will be a rush in as word gets out of a family of faith really trying to follow
Jesus; for people are hungry and thirsty for authenticity.
The
faithful, in obedience to His will as revealed in such texts as John 17,
Ephesians 4, James, Titus, and the like in such matters, will hang strong and
tough and celebrate the revival to come.
We
will praise Him for the forgiveness of those who have used this kairos moment
to wedge, discourage, and divide without regard to Christocentric and Biblical
fidelities.
He
has forgiven them already.
Our
saints will forgive them.
I
have forgiven them.
That's
the preface to addressing a rumor circulating among us.
There
is a rumor of a poll being conducted to determine who likes traditional or
contemporary worship.
Frankly,
I do not understand the difference.
I
just live and love to worship as led by anyone gifted to lead me.
Regardless,
there is no poll because we do not run polls in a Christian church operating by
Presbyterian polity.
We
are not hierarchical. While some would like a pastor or priest or bishop
to dictate as long, of course, as it dictates to their prejudices, we are not
hierarchical. For example, I have no prerogative except for my
witness.
We
are not congregational. While some think we're Baptists or independents
where everything that we do must wait for a congregational vote, that's
just not true. There is nothing in our constitution that encourages
polls, hearsay, mobocracy, or the like.
I
have nothing against hierarchical or congregational polities. God works,
as His Word reveals, through varieties of...
We're
just, uh, Christians in the PCUSA.
We
are Christians who operate by Presbyterian polity: confessional and
constitutional democracy in which authority resides not in individuals but
ordered groups (viz., session, deacons, presbytery, synod, and general
assembly).
However,
there is a much more important spiritual matter of serious discipleship with
eternal consequences at stake here.
Go
back to the first paragraph.
No,
go back to the first paragraph before you continue reading.
O.K.,
these are tough times.
We
are not immune.
People
are afraid of so many things falling apart around them that they try to control
what they think they can control.
Such
times as these do not build character but rather expose it.
What
a wonderful time for us to model Someone better.
Yes,
I know people have left the church because of our expansion for many personal
reasons.
Yes,
I know people have left the church because they don't want to get up earlier
for something a tad more, uh, "traditional" or, uh, whatever
else...for many personal reasons.
Yes,
I even know people who have left because of Henry, Bob, Dick, Bill, Mike,
Melany, or, gulp, me...for many personal reasons.
Yes,
I know people have been enabled to feel like they're entitled to dictate
according to their desires rather than the prerequisites of reaching the next
generation with the gospel. I have often been stunned by the very, very,
very few folks who feel just because they say it, everybody should goosestep to
it.
Yes,
I know people have left for many reasons other than Christocentric and Biblical
fidelities.
And,
yes, I know this should not be and is an exposure of ultimate consequences
(take a peek at Titus).
We
will not be blackmailed by attendance or money by those who have abandoned
Christocentric and Biblical fidelities for...
I
am prepared for many more personal sacrifices to be a faithful undershepherd on the
corner of Lincoln and Main; and if not prepared, He will provide.
We
will not keep people on our membership rolls who do not support Him and His
through worship, support, and other fruit; for that is a hypocrisy that has no
place in the church.
Pastorally,
and check the first paragraph again, I am spending more and more and more time
dealing with people with real problems, life and death issues, domestic
struggles, suicidal temptations, substance abuse, grief, serious health
challenges, and so on. This has driven me to my knees for strength and
clarity. I am spending more and more and more time with Him; and He is
increasing a firm calm that compels me to tell the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth.
Pray
for me because He is calling me to greater fidelities than ever before; and
it's really hard...
While
I did/do not make many of the decisions that have caused people to leave,
acknowledging some leave because I will not champion their agenda at the
expense of the body of Christocentric/Biblical fidelities or I am not Pastor
Dick or Bill or Mike, I submit to the ordering of those decisions through our
polity and must insist as moderator and undershepherd
that others do the same or express personal integrity in an acceptable fashion
that builds rather than bites at the body.
While
I am always prepared even eager to be corrected by the example of Jesus and
Holy Scripture, I don't have any more time or energy for stuff unrelated to our
confession and call; or as session recently decided in the addressing of
anything before it, "What does this/that have to do with Jesus?"
Surely,
I am always available to anyone for prayer and care.
I
will never shut my ear or door or heart to anyone who needs what God offers
through me.
While
I may be wrong, I don't think I've ever denied anyone who has made a need known
to me.
But
I cannot by time/energy and will not by firm calm call enable anyone any longer
who is hurting the wonderful saints on the corner of Lincoln and Main by
behavior unbecoming belief in Jesus (again, see Titus).
The
Lord is compelling me to write a letter to people who have left our church over
the past three decades. If they have found a family of faith since
leaving, I will be encouraging them with blessings. If they have not, I
will urge them to find one or return home. I will also note that
divorcing one's self from the body of Christ is divorcing one's self from Jesus
as attested in Holy Scripture.
Likewise,
again, if people are unhappy with our expansion or second worship service and
refuse to go to the first one, I will no longer enable those infidelities to
this part of the body but help identify other families in which there will be
more personal comfort even as I provide firm calm counsel on what that means in
terms of a person's real relationship with Jesus.
If
I have offended anyone by the preceding, that has not been my intention.
My
intention has been in the spirit of John 3:19-21.
I
am fully aware that we are in tough times and the corner of Lincoln and
Main is not immune.
I
am also fully aware of who is behind divorce, wedging, slander, ridicule, and
the like.
As
I went to bat for the saints of St. James, go to bat for the faithful remnant
in our denomination, go to bat for you when you need me, go to bat for anyone
who really loves Jesus by loving like Jesus, I will not flinch in the face of
anyone or anything in league, wittingly or unwittingly, with anyone/anything
other than Jesus.
There
isn't much more time to be faithful.
So
recognizing my personal sin and need for constant confession and repentance, I
urge you to join me, in the words of my first mentor, and keep the faith.
Blessings
and Love!
P.S.
The rumor is we knee-jerk to personal prejudices. The truth is we are
trying to walk with Jesus as He exemplified and explained in Holy Scripture.
