You may or may not know what I'm about to say here, and fair enough that you'd have to accumulate a great deal of experience in a wide range of church or other Christian ministries and groups to make such statements about the wide body of Christ on earth- but here it is regarding Christian leadership.
No matter how much discernment, knowledge, wisdom and experience you have in leadership you cannot truly know secrets of your brothers and sisters in the closest-knit group unless they are in the practical, discovered (found out, being walked in on and such) or unless they willingly confess their deepest issues and want you to know.
I've lived in Christian community most of my life serving in leadership in many areas. Some folks are sadly, such great actors covering their own inner struggles, pains, temptations, hidden sins that literally only God and they know. This is reality. Thus the self-harm of needless tail-chasing and eventually and mostly, hurting people hurt others.
We are known only to the extent we are taking real and practical steps to share with people -and only to the depth of those things we choose to share with them.
What this means is some folks don't grow as disciples of Jesus (see His Own Words in John chapter 15 re. His definitions of discipleship) no matter the church government, leadership or congregation's theology, doctrine or methodology.
In any form of church or non-church-like Christian gathering some stay stuck, trapped, going round and round in any number of areas of their life. Then, praise God, bless Him for His grace and their willingness to open up, there are those who have found healing, a life of integrity, spiritual growth and fruitful service to God and neighbors.
I can hear some thinking "It's all about LOVE Glenn, it's that simple!" Yes and no. NOBODY has loved us each and all as Jesus did and does. The Father seeks us out but the response is on us. There is plenty of scripture and church history to educate us on this to the degree we must adjust our theology to the facts. Alas, some never will until we are with Him in glory.
Meanwhile the idea that unblemished love via individual Christians much less entire local churches is even possible is a myth of biblical proportions indeed. Read the Book's record of Israel, Judah and the churches of the New Testament, then history outside the Word please!
It's on each of us to respond to God's love, receive, then sacrificially share it regardless of anything. That's the deal. Even then there is no guarantee people will bend heart and knee and in love follow Jesus, take God's commands seriously and live a kingdom of God vs. kingdom of self life.
My view is that until we face the truth of all this whether in some area of leadership or not, we will often find fault -at times even looking for cures we ourselves don't always want to sacrifice for ourselves. Relationships of faith, hope, love and yes, surrender to the Lord isn't something human organization or structure solves. Oh, these can help or hinder, but they are not the fix-all any more than zero organization, nearly-no structure is.
Volunteered surrender and I'm convinced, personal epiphany/lights-on awareness of God, His calling and our reply in relationship and action from the heart are the essentials.
As always, thanks for stopping by. -Glenn
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