pain and hope, the journey continues

There have been many good, enriching conversations happening lately. Our Sunday night small group has been discussing Roman Catholicism and sadly we have focused on our differences rather than highlighting what makes us fellow disciples. Jeremy posted about this on his blog. Two steps forward, one step back, but progress is being made.

The other day I was looking at some blogs and I came across a blog I didn’t know existed. The blog belongs to someone from my church but I am afraid that it is also my anonymous friend (I hope I’m wrong) who challenged me about my previous post about James Dobson’s response to the NAE’s emphasis on environmental protection and its call for evangelicals to care for the gift of creation. I wanted to never post on here again. My desire for unity is so strong that I have struggled with whether or not to continue posting on this blog but I will for now because there is no other forum available that allows me to express myself in this particular way. By no means do I consider myself a prophet but is there no place for people who are willing to challenge leadership. Do people who challenge leadership get immediately lumped in with the political left and the elitist intellectuals? I just want people to take a close look at the teachings of Jesus and then interpret the teachings of current leaders in light of the gospel. Not in light of what they say he says, but what he really said and what he did. Did Jesus call us to a life of sin management or a life of freedom through kingdom life? Did he call us to expose the sin of the world and condemn it or to save the world from oppression through love?

I had lunch on Monday with a guy that works for Lower Lights. It was a great conversation. We talked about our decision to stay a part of the Church of the Nazarene, and how difficult that decision was to make. He talked about how some of the big churches come down to the inner city and bus people out to their suburban churches. He said that the people being shipped out know that they serve as the poster children for the suburban churches “outreach ministries” and they are ok with that because they take everything they can from the churches. The churches know that the inner city people are taking everything that they can get but they need people to put up front in order to say they are doing something noble for the least of these. Sadly he told me that the churches are attempting to minister to prostitutes by creating prostitutes, all in the name of Jesus.

I am concerned about family and friends who have committed themselves to the kingdom. Many of them are tired, betrayed, bedraggled and generally in a mess all in the name of ministry. I am concerned about them and despite my commitment to the Church, I see valid reasons to walk away and I would never question any of these brothers or sisters if they did decide to simply walk away. It is strange that the message of Christ is not received well by those who call themselves Christian. There is hope. Many are hearing and following the words of Christ. Stay strong and continue to proclaim the truth because it is the truth that will set you free.