Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Devouring each other...
Click here to read a rather distressing story about a youth pastor who was first offered a job as a church janitor after he contracted dengue fever on a mission trip and then fired after he talked to a paper about it.
Then click here for an excellent article in Chrstianity Today on the "Sin of Talking to a Reporter".
Words fail me. I mean I know that a church can't meet every need. My own church has helped my family a number of times over the past 5 years when we've needed it. They couldn't always help us financially, but that wasn't out of lack of desire. But if one of your staff contracts a disease while doing the work of God you can do better than cutting him off and then offering him a job he can't (and shouldn't have to) do only because the law makes you. In fact the people surrounding him have done a lot better than that and the body of his church could have done the same.
It reminds me of the Casting Crowns song:
Matthew 5:46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
We aren't any better than the "pagans", in fact we may be worse, if we can't even love our own body.
Galatians 5:14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Pray for our body. I know this is just one example, but a jarring one.
Incidentally I read about this here first. ¶
8:55 AM
Click here to read a rather distressing story about a youth pastor who was first offered a job as a church janitor after he contracted dengue fever on a mission trip and then fired after he talked to a paper about it.
Then click here for an excellent article in Chrstianity Today on the "Sin of Talking to a Reporter".
Words fail me. I mean I know that a church can't meet every need. My own church has helped my family a number of times over the past 5 years when we've needed it. They couldn't always help us financially, but that wasn't out of lack of desire. But if one of your staff contracts a disease while doing the work of God you can do better than cutting him off and then offering him a job he can't (and shouldn't have to) do only because the law makes you. In fact the people surrounding him have done a lot better than that and the body of his church could have done the same.
It reminds me of the Casting Crowns song:
But if we are the body
Why aren't His arms reaching?
Why aren't His hands healing?
Why aren't His words teaching?
And if we are the body
Why aren't His feet going?
Why is His love not showing them there is a way?
There is a way
Matthew 5:46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?
We aren't any better than the "pagans", in fact we may be worse, if we can't even love our own body.
Galatians 5:14The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."[b] 15If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Pray for our body. I know this is just one example, but a jarring one.
Incidentally I read about this here first. ¶
8:55 AM
