I came across the words below a month or so ago. But I let them sit for a month to make sure they are coming from a place of concern for the church. I have seen this scenario play out too often. A church organizes around a pastor and looks to him or her for leadership (as opposed to shared leadership). They progressively put they trust into this pastor and begin to honor him or her more and more. Honor turns to celebration and a celebrity culture builds up around that person. The church relies more and more on that one individual’s gifting, vision and leadership. The church forms systems around the pastor and a hierarchical structure develops with some in the inner circle. Those closest begin to feel protective both of the pastor and of their time and connection to him or her.
Then the pastor stumbles or falls. To the same extent that the church exalted the pastor, they then denigrate him. The celebrity culture cannot stand the vacuum of leadership, so they quickly look for a hero to save them and lead them. The church tends to devalue everything the now villain pastor did. They remove memorabilia of that person from sight and remove prior sermons from sound. They exile the prior pastor in every way possible. They declare that the prior state of being was unhealthy, but now they have learned and the new hero leader with take them into health. But, the basic dynamic is not addressed and the cycle continues. Perhaps superficial changes occur and the overt evidence of the celebrity culture is softened, but the core problem is untouched.
So, I offer these words from an anonymous source. If you are easily offended, might as well stop reading now.
“Church, there is something missing in us. We proclaim health, but there is a malignancy. The symptoms of this disease are so common and comfortable that we embrace them as normal and right. In fact, this disease is rampant in the church universal and I only notice it because of the change I have seen in the local bodies. Commonplace, but it is cancerous none the less.
“I have spoken openly of embracing the grace of Jesus Christ in many circles of people within you. All agree, ‘Of course we hold tightly to grace; of course that is our foundation.’ But, the quizzical looks and the actions that follow indicate that what I am speaking of and what they are speaking of are not precisely aligned.
“’For grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.’ Ephesians 2:8-9. You know the words. You acknowledge that even the faith through which we receive the favor of Jesus is a gift that we cannot manufacture. You recognize in your mind that the gift of your forgiveness and life in Christ is undeserved. And you state your agreement that the apprehending of the magnitude of this unmerited gift from God calls us all into obedience from the heart and will. An obedience born of love rather than fear.
‘Then why do we persist, Church, in disobedience? Why are we so reticent to extend grace? Why, when this foundation of total reliance on Jesus as Lord and Savior is examined in detail, do cracks emerge?
“’If you love me, you will keep my commandments.’ John 14:15. ‘In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets… . Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.’ Matthew 7:12 & 26. ‘For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions… . Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why then do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?’ Matthew 6:14-15 & 7:1-4.
‘There is unforgiveness that is revealed in us, Church. It is the evidence of the cancer; the symptom. And the cancer itself is reliance on works: works of “recovery” and the works of potential “restoration” of the exiled. Unforgiveness is coddled and even nursed in your members, oh body of Christ! Mostly the unforgiveness is subtle and the works reliance are insidious. But, when a leader of the body stands on the stage and proclaims that it has taken 18 months or so to forgive a brother his wrongs, and it is received with applause, the cancer shows itself. When that leader pronounces that now they have forgiven and gone through the “process” of forgiveness as though it is a good thing, the symptoms are manifest. Who among you realized that the leader had just confessed to living in the sin of unforgiveness for a year and a half? Who was struck that there was no repentance of that sin offered along with this declaration? Who sensed pride in this work of a forgiveness process?
‘When did Jesus ever speak of a process of forgiving? Did He not insist that forgiveness be instant? ‘But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court;… . But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also… . I do not say to you, [forgive] up to seven time, but up to seventy times seven.’ Matthew 5:23, 39 & 18:22. Church, this sin of unforgiveness is comfortable to you. You dilute the words of Jesus by adopting the modern psychological philosophy of process. You reject the high calling of Christ in disobedience to Him. You accommodate and justify your sin by saying that Jesus was only speaking in hyperbole and that what he really meant was, ‘take your time and work the steps’. This is sin. This is reliance upon psychology – a man-made philosophy. You call it recovery, but it is sin. There are many fine things that come from the recovery model, and some have a biblical basis, but it does not fully comport to the words of Jesus. And so where recovery departs from full reliance on Christ, it has chosen the easier, lesser path. You, however, are called to, ‘[e]nter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.’ Matthew 7:13. Or do you think the only destruction spoken of here is the ultimate destruction of hell? Are we not seeing destruction within your body, Church?
‘There is destruction that we wreak in the midst of God’s salvation. We have a brother in Christ who is hurting even now. A brother who has been exiled from the love, compassion and mercy of your embrace, Church. A brother who sinned, as has each of your members, body of Christ. Is his sin greater than your sin or my sin? Is his sin less deserving of the immediate forgiveness that Jesus gives to us and calls out of us? To look at our actions, it must be that there is a scale upon which his sin falls that lies beyond grace – at least beyond unearned and immediate grace (perhaps someday he can earn it back, right?). A betrayal that is beyond the betrayal of Peter’s denial of Christ in Jesus’ direst hour which was forgiven before it happened. For even now, two years later, we proclaim this brother’s “moral failing” and name his name to the entire world on the internet. Even now, we put in writing that he caused all our woes from the last two years, Church, and proclaim another brother who stepped into the leadership role as a hero. Another brother who had walked alongside our fallen one for years. Brothers who broke bread together. A brother who actively supported, promoted and encouraged the very systems and approaches that we now decry. One is vilified publicly and one is heralded publicly two years later. That is not forgiveness. That is not grace. That is not mercy. That is not compassion. That is sin. That is a works basis for the extension of favor (grace). That is passing judgment based on behavior and goes beyond the natural consequences of lost trust, lost wages, lost opportunities, and lost fellowship. It is punitive.
‘Church, we continue to walk in the sin of unforgiveness and our health is being devoured by this cancer of relying on behavior and on processes rather than on the unfailing words of Jesus. I have pointed out only two examples; two symptoms. But there are more. People still leave our body, Church. Support is waning; not growing. Could it be that those who are leaving reject this ill and those who come and stay are already infected? So many talk about a feeling they get; a visceral reaction that they cannot name. So many notice that responsibility of every problem we are encountering is laid on the head of one brother just as the priest of old placed their hands on the head of the scapegoat to be led away and slaughtered. Even the mistakes made subsequent to the exile of this brother are attributed to him and to his influence. When does that chain of causation end? Jesus is our scapegoat and we need no other. He paid the price and assumed the responsibility (though there remain natural consequences). Need we look beyond the cross and proclaim blame on a brother? Many members of this body notice that either by direct observation or on a spiritual level. They recognize in their spirit that something remains off.
“I stated in a meeting of leaders earlier this year that we must go beyond what we label as forgiveness and, instead, reconcile. I have heard of no one taking steps to reconcile with this brother even though another sister who sinned similarly has been restored to fellowship. Upon what difference is this judgment made? I am not naïve and suggesting that this brother come back and physically take part in the community of this local body, Church (though I cannot see why not). But has even a single one of you who walked by his side for years, who proclaimed love for him, gone to him to reconcile? Are you waiting for his behavior and level of repentance to match your judgment of how contrite he should be? The peace of Christ does not refer to a feeling of serenity; it is a word that means ceasing hostilities and being reunited. The peace of Christ is not predicated upon our behavior, but is a gift He gives us – a specific manifestation from His grace towards us. No one has sought this peace with our exiled brother.
“I have put forth four symptoms; four items of evidence that we are not healthy even though we outwardly proclaim such. The first, acceptance of the sin of unforgiveness by calling it a process in contradiction of the very words of Jesus. Secondly, the continued public blaming and shaming of a brother in Christ while elevating another prior cohort to status of hero. The discontent of many in their spirit which continues to cause many to leave is the third symptom. And, the fourth, is the failure of fellow brothers and sisters, even those who previously proclaimed him friend, to go to a hurting brother and reconcile with him and end the spiritual exile even if the physical exile from this specific fellowship must continue.
“Church, we are ill. Cancer is at work within this body and the evidence is there, though ignored. Claiming health does not create health. Our prognosis is grim unless we undergo extreme measures. We must return to a deep obedience out of love to the hardest of the teachings of our Lord and Savior. We must call out sin, no matter how comfortable and good it seems to the eye of the flesh. We must look at ourselves first and foremost and examine our walk. We must confront our denial. We must see to the spiritual care of the most repugnant brother or sister. We must reconcile with our brother in Christ. If we do not, then only the most discerning and deeply rooted shepherd coming in to our body will be able to take us from this state of decline into true health where grace shines forth as a beacon to the lost and hopeless.
“Church, I am sorry to say these things because they will feel hurtful to nearly all of our members. These strong words will be rejected by those most invested in denying the sin with which they have made friends. They will be scoffed at as ramblings of a disgruntled man (and indeed I am disgruntled, though not by any treatment I experienced personally, but by this cancer that is hurting us all). But, some who read these words will have a deep down sense that there is something to them. Some of you will carry the torch of grace that goes beyond grace; the flame that make even fellow believes uncomfortable with its extremity. A grace that has no need to work out a process of forgiveness for it is anathema. A grace that flies in the face of what our human hurt tells us to do. A grace that is so profound that it makes us itch sometimes. A grace that calls out really risky and vulnerable steps towards others because of the assurance it gives. A grace in which we get lost to self because we are found in Him. A grace that prompts the concern for others above the concern for safety. A profound grace that instills a sense of awe, rather than the commonplace, whenever we contemplate it. A grace that always surpasses our understanding. Let that light shine.”
Anonymous
Sans Tache 