Religious people can be a strange bunch. I can say that from experience attending churches since I was conceived. I turned 56 in June. I tell people I have been attending church since I was 56 plus nine months. In other words I grew up in church. I have served as a pastor for 20 years with ministry experience in four different states. I am in my 10th year as a Director of Missions serving 50 different congregations and I have preached on 5 different continents. I have been in so many churches I am surprised a steeple is not growing out of my bald spot. However, I am still often dumfounded at the way we do our business.
We seem to specialize on reasons to disagree. Jesus prayed (John 17:20-26) for us to be “one so the world would know the Father sent Him.” But, we stay so divided that they stay away as if we had rabies rather than the message of eternal life. We are often so afraid of change and fear new thoughts or ideas as if the truth could be threatened by something new. Our culture or surrounding world (which is our mission field) changes regularly however, two things never change; the Gospel and mankind’s need for that Gospel. Our task is to get into the changing culture with that timeless Gospel that meets the needs of today’s culture, like sprinkling salt onto food to change the flavor, to borrow an old teaching from a wise man.
Traditions and ways of the past are often guarded as if they were sacred or military secrets. Once a deacon asked me, “If I disagree with you, as my pastor, do you think I am led by Satan?” I responded, “Heavens no! I welcome civil disagreement. Anyone seeking truth seeks other opinions and if they point to truth, he leaves his old ideas and follows truth.” My way or the highway people with personal ego and agenda become threatened when challenged.
Jerry Porras writes in Success Built to Last: Creating a Life That Matters of successful businesses having “naked conversations” where things are openly discussed in such a manner that outsiders would think they are fighting. Even the CEO will allow employees to freely disagree with him because they know they all have the same goal; the best product. They discuss, decide, then unite and support a decision that helps the company because it mutually benefits all. This is valuable for moral and the bottom line as all work together for the common good.
Too often we see personal ego get in the way in church to the point that we discuss, argue and if I don’t get my way I won’t go along. We divide, hide, isolate when we should come together more than anyone else. After all we really do have the best ‘product’, salvation. When we unite and are open with our discussion and work all receive the rewards, which are eternal.
