Just had another birthday -and thanks for the ton of well-wishing via my social media, email and texts-! Last weekend I had an amazing time w. longtime and some new friends in New Orleans doing a blues set.
The bulk of this week has been spending a small bit of time with my wife and family due to a week long Midwinter gathering of the church I've long been ordained with. Some very, very sweet folks, amazing worship and deep teaching. A gift to those involved! And yet...
2 Timothy 2.24, 25a "And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correcting opponents with gentleness." Paul had much to say as of course did Jesus on how we interact with people rightly and in my view this hits a core matter hard as well as true.
Yep, in a convo with one of the most kind, deep pastors I've known who is now simply sharing Jesus and His love with folks in a ministry area that doesn't involve local church pastoring we sat together to catch up.
I asked how his bride and kids were, then about serving as he is now. His long arc of pastoral experiences in several local churches lends a great deal of experience.
We speak quite openly to one another as friends do, and he said one major thing he realized in his new post is the lack of arguing. People like to argue, the polarization of society outside and within the churches are so often hotbeds of deep disagreement over massive, important things but also petty, trivial pet preferences as well. Both/and. He said he was so happy to be delivered from all that.
I get it. You cannot be in any leadership position and either involved in arguments or called on by two (sometimes more) parties of individuals or groups who disagree, distrust or at least wish to "win" re. the issue if not see the "other" leave the fellowship so they then have the upper hand and get their way.
Sometimes it's truly 90-10 percent on an issue (or 10-90) at times right vs. wrong when clear exegesis of Scripture is the ground of disagreement. Justice IS a legit issue and has been, just read Amos alone on that one! Whew!
Then there are some who contend from one place to the next because they are contentious, just love to argue and carry a culture of arguing from place to place. Contrarians by (old) nature. Relationships, "love is patient, love is kind" end up in the rear-view mirror all too often. Churches split and at times over methodologies, that at times because various methods and forms have been accepted as Bible doctrine when they simply are not.
Well, on it goes.
I admit that as time went on my clear confirmations and freedom to do more music and speaking, volunteer chaplaincy in prison and jail visits brought a simplicity and peace in my life to where a lot of my classic role of pastor (which I still am) with the headaches of administration stuff (arrggghhh) and hours of meetings having to deal with arguments is mostly in -my- rear-view mirror now.
It's like coming out of the thick fog we drove through to the meetings today. The burdens are real. Many of the arguments are needed, worth the pain and yes, sometimes the Son and sun break through. Sometimes they do not and in some cases never will on this planet until Jesus returns and God sets all things right.
Meanwhile, the servant of the Lord must not maintain nor feed an argumentative spirit (either within ourselves or others) but in humility, in love count others better than themselves, as equals and with respect and dignity.
Our neighbors whom Jesus calls us to love "as yourself" may even end up the "enemies" He ALSO commands us to love!
God deliver us from argument as a sport or a debate to win like some sort of card game. Loving those we disagree with is no game -it's a command of God.
As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn
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