When I evaluate myself on how faithfully I live out my belief that I am called to be a prophet, I'm not kind to myself.
There are many things I have not said, yet, at least.
It may surprise some readers of this blog that what I don't say is the harshest stuff that I believe the Spirit is saying.
Why I don't say those things is a question I often ask myself. Sometimes, I'm actually afraid to say them because I'm not confident that I can say them faithfully or accurately. Some other times, I've tried putting them into words and it didn't happen.
Here's a harsh word I'm going to try to hint at, at least:
When I read the Gospels, I'm afraid that many people in important positions in the church, especially my own tradition, are not, in reality, subjects of the Kingdom of God.
In a way others might say it: I'm afraid they are not saved.
Jesus was careful to make it clear that, on the Day, many who think they are His people will be stunned to find that He refuses to welcome them into His Kingdom.
Think of Matthew 7: "Not everyone who calls me Lord will enter into the Kingdom of heaven..." or Matthew 25's sheep and goats teaching where the people on His left exclaim, "When did we see YOU hungry...?"
--------------
When I look at church, uh, leaders today, I see men an women devoted to their idea of the church. I see, in them, a burning passion to save the church from extinction but I see very little of what Jesus will reward in Matthew 25. Actually, in many of those people, I see none of it!
I observe people dashing from meeting to meeting, forming committees and commissions and task forces and doing those groups' work with so great a passion that there is no time, and I'm afraid, no concern for living the radical life of service and self-sacrifice Jesus demands.
I see a people who have made an idol of the institutional church. I see people who love and serve the church. I see people with little, and some with no, focus on Jesus.
And, I see no fruit of salvation in them. I see nothing of the power of the Spirit. I see absolutely no evidence that the Lord is blessing anything they are doing as their institutionalized church implodes.
I fear for them for eternity.
-------------------
There. I've hinted at one of the words I've been loathe to speak.
We must repent.
I've reread what I wrote. And, I have no apologies for any of it.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, I do want to make the point that, within my tradition, there are some whose connection to the Kingdom of God concerns me. I hope I'm wrong because I care for them. But, based on what they say and, more importantly, the fruit I observe and what I don't observe, I am concerned.
On the other hand, I do see fruit of Jesus-commanded righteousness in others. My wish for them is that they'd be more Kingdom and less church-focused. But, I do see a yearning for sheep and goats righteousness.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete