filtering - part three
It's been months since I wrote the filtering articles, but I have to add one at this point in the journey . . .I made a huge mistake at church last night. For seven years in our church, we had prayer meeting on Wednesday night, and we, well, prayed. I would take a short scriptural passage and find some application to our prayer life, and then we would use the ACTS accrostic to guide us through a time of prayer. Frankly, after seven years of doing the same thing, and observing fading attendance year after year, I tried to change something. So, several weeks ago, I started teaching a "stream of consciousness" Bible study on the book of Philippians. All seemed to be going well until last night.
Backing up once again, I remind you that over the last several weeks, I have been out of town a good bit. One trip was with a group of preachers studying our preaching practice, the second trip was also with preachers taking a look at where we would be headed during the upcoming Advent season. Then I took a week of vacation, in which I didn't preach. During those moments of "awayness," I was allowed to think and say pretty much anything I wanted to think and say - preachers are forgiving that way with one another, you know.
Well, last night, during our study of Philippians, I took the same liberties. I said some things that I shouldn't have said. I expressed my viewpoint, rather than taking a rather "middle of the road, all things to all men" approach - which is usually what I try to do, and frankly is the reason that I work from a manuscript each Sunday. In doing so, I "dissed" one entire segment of the Christian population - solely for the sake of my personal freedom to think and speak.
I serve the most wonderful church in the world. It is a loving congregation, intent upon seeking Christ and serving Him and others. But even in this most special congregation, I am reminded of a singular truth - servants are servants, and they are not always allowed to say whatever they think.
I had forgotten that, and this morning I feel ashamed, frustated, and very lonely.
posted by the sojourning pilgrim @ 9:22 AM
2 Comments:
We are so blessed that the Holy Spirit runs out ahead of our words and begins to smooth and heal and infuse abounding grace---even before we speak. I love you and pray for you daily. Your mistake/s in public brings courage and unity to those of us that make similar mistakes in public and in private. Your heart of David prevails.
So all the things I want to type here I can't because I know that it is likely that many of your church folks read this and me ranting about people I don't know doesn't serve anybody. But I could sure transfer some of my frustration onto them (or anybody right now).
There are some things I want to blog about from my own church life that I cannot because my readership has spilled over into church folks, which is maybe a clue that it is time to shut the blog down. I suppose that it original purpose was to be a free outlet for me and not another tool of the delicate middle road we walk every day.
The community of God shouldn't be so sensitive. We (ministers or anybody) ought to be able to speak freely, or at least as free as the next guy.
I feeling it, Richard. I'm feeling it.
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