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Review content:
Let’s make no mistake here, folks. The shunning practice is the central issue of this entire uproar. And telling your members to put on a cheerful act when they run into us in the supermarket? That is not enough, Leadership. It will never be enough. Not when there are grandparents who long to meet their grandchildren for the first time. Not when there are children who want to see their parents again for Christmas. Not when many families bleed freely for the security of a few. \r
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I’d like to quote some passages of the Christian Life book back to ThankY, in hopes of getting some sort of response that more than blanket Scripture quoting and empty platitudes. It’s a known fact by all who have attended this church that those who break their commitments are shunned by their family and loved ones who remain. While doing my homework on the topic, I consulted one of the only approved companions to the Word of God sanctioned by the leadership, the Christian Life Book. Here I found some rather contradictory entries:\r
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“Commitment to a local church is usually made verbally and publicly. Although there are no specific Scriptures to this effect in the New Testament, common sense dictates that this is the pattern to follow.” (James 276)\r
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So to clarify, the entire practice of shunning is based on….common sense? The Christian Life book clearly admits that there are no specific Scriptures to point to when instructing people on New Testament church commitment. But should members leave this church to go worship God somewhere else, then common sense tells us that Christ wants you to shun those believers. That’s what the Christian Life Book says. Rather clearly. \r
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Sorry, but when weighed against EVERYTHING ELSE that Christ said to his followers, this argument over church commitment simply doesn’t hold water. I can already hear this passage being explained by The Evangelist during a Sunday evening meeting. ""They obviously took the passage out of context. We are the only authority on this text, so please no questions."" Funny thing about context? It usually belongs to the one with the microphone. \r
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The second entry shed even more light on the topic. It’s found in the same chapter on Discipleship and Commitment. \r
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“We cannot really put down roots if we frequently pull ourselves up and transplant ourselves. There are those times when the Lord will allow us to make moves, but we must be careful to have our lives directed by His Word and His kingdom, and not by the circumstances of this life (such as the condition of the job market, the location where we would rather live, etc.)"" (James 279)\r
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Of course there were members who left because they decided to leave the area, or move toward an upward career position. But those people are in the minority. The vast majority of the voices represented here made their decision simply based on His Word, out of a desire to seek a more enriching church environment. You’ll find these people still live right here in Pittsburgh. They live right down the road. They’re busy fulfilling God’s will for their lives, busy going to work like you, finishing school like you, serving faithfully in ministry within their local churches like you. They have not disappeared. They are not ghosts. These are real believers with real hearts, and.....well.....I know what it does to my heart. \r
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I can only imagine how it must grieve the heart of Christ. \r
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It starts to feel like throwing pebbles at castle walls out here. We get tired of holding to hope. Is it even possible to free imprisoned minds? It feels like we lack some secret combination of words. Or perhaps the secret lies not through our words, but our actions. In any case, the answer must be out there somewhere. We may not have found it yet, but we will not stop searching. \r
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I hope one day to receive a genuine response. From anyone. \r
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Works cited: \r
James, Norman. The Christian Life Series. Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 1995. Print.\r
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