In a few days my wife and I will be celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary. We will take some time to think about where we have been and what we have done. We will also take some time to think about what we will be doing in the future based upon what we have already done. That makes life just that much more exciting when you think about the great things that still lie ahead.
Churches (and associations) must do more of that. Anniversaries and homecomings are great times to celebreate the journey of the church. Others, perhaps generations of others, have worked hard and often sacrificed much to bring the congregation to where it is today. Such efforts deserve to be celebrated.
The challenge arises when the anniversary becomes such a time of remembering and glorifying a past there is no room for future thought. The anniversary then becomes a funeral. Heroes of the past are lifted up. Great accomplishments experienced and sacrifices made get the top billing. All too often the present is bemoaned as a mere shadow of the greatness of the past. The future is ignored.
Yet the time of remembering the past is perhaps the best time to look to the future. One church mentioned in an article reads at every anniversary celebration the original purpose statement the congregation wrote at the founding of the church. The dreams of the founders are never allowed to be forgotten. The future movement of the church takes the prominent place in the time of celebration.
A healthy church will remember its past with all its victories, struggles, and the lessons each has brought. A healthy church will use these lessons to move into a future undergirded by faith in the God who holds that future. The challenges of the past serve to reaffirm that the God who has brought the church to the present will carry the church into the future. God will continue to prove faithful to his people.
Look ahead in planning your celebration of the past. Let the joy lay a foundation for future celebrations. Dream about the time the generations yet to come will celebrate the victories your church experienced to give them the future they enjoy and will likewise build upon for generations to come after them. Use your anniversaries to dare to dream again!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Small In Whose Eyes?
My association is a small association in comparison to some others. The church where my official membership resides is small compared to some others. Frankly I'm short compared to a lot of people, especially basketball players in high school, college, and the pros. In all these cases I can also point out that we are large when we compare ourselves to some others.
Yet when we make our own comparisons, more often than not it is to the larger guy that we look. We want to be like him, and we always come out on the short end of the deal. We are seeking ways to make ourselves look good when standing beside those we deem larger, bigger, or greater. If we want to see progress or growth or improvement in ourselves, we look to those we already deem ahead of where we are and closer to where we want to be. We don't look at those we sense are already behind us or smaller than us.
A wise man once said (whom I have no idea!) that small is an attitude and not a physical measurement. Such attitudes can make us feel inferior or superior, oppressed or lordly. Such attitudes can lead to us looking up to people or looking down on people. As a friend of mine once said many years ago, "I have an inferiority complex. Everyone is inferior to me!"
Small like beauty can be in the eye of the beholder. The attitude we attach to it will determine our efforts and our results in life in general and for the Kingdom of God in particular. This is just as true for churches and associations as it is for individuals. If you see yourself as small, then you will act that way. If you see yourself as large, great, or powerful, then you will act that way.
For Kingdom work the bottom line is not our size but the size of the God we worship. We will always be small in comparison to him. We will always be powerless in comparison to him. We will always be failures in comparison to him.
However, in his eyes we are of ultimate worth. In his eyes we have been given all things, even heaven itself. In his eyes we are strong enough to conquer even the gates of hell. There is nothing small about any of that!
Satan and his temptation for us to act weak will always look big when we take our eyes off God. (I know who said that: my wife!) As long as we churches and associations keep our eyes on the greatness of our God and the greatness he wants to raise up within us, then it is the world of evil that will begin to diminish in size. As we begin to view our greatness through the eyes of God, then our resources will become greater and the obstacles smaller.
God does not see small churches or small associations. He sees congregations and associations who see themselves as small. He is patient. He continues to work with us. He is daily trying to get us to open our eyes and to see the greatness he has waiting for us, the greatness we can only find in him. So often the great things God is wanting us to do as his Church are not done simply because we refuse to realize he has already made us big enough to do them.
Yet when we make our own comparisons, more often than not it is to the larger guy that we look. We want to be like him, and we always come out on the short end of the deal. We are seeking ways to make ourselves look good when standing beside those we deem larger, bigger, or greater. If we want to see progress or growth or improvement in ourselves, we look to those we already deem ahead of where we are and closer to where we want to be. We don't look at those we sense are already behind us or smaller than us.
A wise man once said (whom I have no idea!) that small is an attitude and not a physical measurement. Such attitudes can make us feel inferior or superior, oppressed or lordly. Such attitudes can lead to us looking up to people or looking down on people. As a friend of mine once said many years ago, "I have an inferiority complex. Everyone is inferior to me!"
Small like beauty can be in the eye of the beholder. The attitude we attach to it will determine our efforts and our results in life in general and for the Kingdom of God in particular. This is just as true for churches and associations as it is for individuals. If you see yourself as small, then you will act that way. If you see yourself as large, great, or powerful, then you will act that way.
For Kingdom work the bottom line is not our size but the size of the God we worship. We will always be small in comparison to him. We will always be powerless in comparison to him. We will always be failures in comparison to him.
However, in his eyes we are of ultimate worth. In his eyes we have been given all things, even heaven itself. In his eyes we are strong enough to conquer even the gates of hell. There is nothing small about any of that!
Satan and his temptation for us to act weak will always look big when we take our eyes off God. (I know who said that: my wife!) As long as we churches and associations keep our eyes on the greatness of our God and the greatness he wants to raise up within us, then it is the world of evil that will begin to diminish in size. As we begin to view our greatness through the eyes of God, then our resources will become greater and the obstacles smaller.
God does not see small churches or small associations. He sees congregations and associations who see themselves as small. He is patient. He continues to work with us. He is daily trying to get us to open our eyes and to see the greatness he has waiting for us, the greatness we can only find in him. So often the great things God is wanting us to do as his Church are not done simply because we refuse to realize he has already made us big enough to do them.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Encouraging Brings Risk to All of Us
My small deskside dictionary provides me with this defintion of encourage: to inspire with courage and hope. One of my biblical heroes is Barnabas, the Son of Encouragement. He didn't seek the spotlight, but he helped other people do more than they ever would without him. We don't know of any manuscripts that we are certain he wrote, but he encoraged one who wrote a lot of what constitutes our New Testament. He is not noted for having started any particular churches, but his support gave another young man the start he needed to eventually be an important disciple of the Apostle Paul and a compiler of the second gospel.
Encouragement is something we all need and can be easily given away. Encouragement, however, does bring risk, both for the giver and the recipient. Once offered, encouragement can produce an energy of its own, and the results may be beyond our human ability to control.
To inspire with courage and hope is to let a person see that what he or she may be at the present need not be the final result. That person can be more, go farther, and turn dreams into reality. Sometimes the person who encourages becomes the strong shoulders that allows the other to attain heights undreamed of. Sometimes the encourager can be forgotten in the heady rush of success and accomplishment.
Our churches need to be encouragers. The gospel is all about encouragement. The gospel is a message of encouragement. The gospel shows people what they are, what they can be, and what God has done to make the transformation possible. The gospel leads people to look beyond the limitations of this world and see what they can become both in this world and in eternity. That's real encouragement! Of course these people may leave our churches. They may follow the Spirit to a mission field in the inner city or overseas. If we encourage them, we may lose them.
The association also must be in the business of encouragement. Our member churches too easily can fall into the trap of self-criticism and limited dreams. The local congregation will look at its numerical attendance and financial resources. It will see the bigger church down the road, on television, or in the headlines, and fall into spiritual despair. "We're too small. We're too poor. We're too old." The Holy Spirit gnashes his teeth at such thinking!
The association must be in the business of encouragement. When we take our eyes off God, we will see only our own limitations. We will see only what we can do in our strength. We will see only what our dreams could be without any hope of reaching those dreams.
Associations must encourage each of their member churches to see their context through the eyes of God. The churches must see their resources through the eyes of God. The churches must see their potential through the eyes of God. The association must help each church see the open door that God has placed in front of every congregation (Rev. 3:8). No one can shut the door, but too many churches are willing to walk away from it. Yet if we encourage them, they may move beyond our own resources to help them. They may see themsleves no longer needing the support of the association. Let us dare to celebrate with them!
We as associational leaders must learn how to encourage our churches, their leaders, and their membership. It will be a lot easier if we can help them keep their focus upon God. He offers a lot of encouragement.
Encouragement is something we all need and can be easily given away. Encouragement, however, does bring risk, both for the giver and the recipient. Once offered, encouragement can produce an energy of its own, and the results may be beyond our human ability to control.
To inspire with courage and hope is to let a person see that what he or she may be at the present need not be the final result. That person can be more, go farther, and turn dreams into reality. Sometimes the person who encourages becomes the strong shoulders that allows the other to attain heights undreamed of. Sometimes the encourager can be forgotten in the heady rush of success and accomplishment.
Our churches need to be encouragers. The gospel is all about encouragement. The gospel is a message of encouragement. The gospel shows people what they are, what they can be, and what God has done to make the transformation possible. The gospel leads people to look beyond the limitations of this world and see what they can become both in this world and in eternity. That's real encouragement! Of course these people may leave our churches. They may follow the Spirit to a mission field in the inner city or overseas. If we encourage them, we may lose them.
The association also must be in the business of encouragement. Our member churches too easily can fall into the trap of self-criticism and limited dreams. The local congregation will look at its numerical attendance and financial resources. It will see the bigger church down the road, on television, or in the headlines, and fall into spiritual despair. "We're too small. We're too poor. We're too old." The Holy Spirit gnashes his teeth at such thinking!
The association must be in the business of encouragement. When we take our eyes off God, we will see only our own limitations. We will see only what we can do in our strength. We will see only what our dreams could be without any hope of reaching those dreams.
Associations must encourage each of their member churches to see their context through the eyes of God. The churches must see their resources through the eyes of God. The churches must see their potential through the eyes of God. The association must help each church see the open door that God has placed in front of every congregation (Rev. 3:8). No one can shut the door, but too many churches are willing to walk away from it. Yet if we encourage them, they may move beyond our own resources to help them. They may see themsleves no longer needing the support of the association. Let us dare to celebrate with them!
We as associational leaders must learn how to encourage our churches, their leaders, and their membership. It will be a lot easier if we can help them keep their focus upon God. He offers a lot of encouragement.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Daring to Pray for the Big Stuff
I personally like change. I like seeing things evolve, moving toward the perfect. I also realize that I will never attain perfection in this life, nor will I see every change that I would like to see actually take place. I am called to do what I can with what I have where I am. Thankfully, God does not allow my actions or my abilities to be the end of the story. He wants me to depend upon him to be the foundation for the change that brings about the best. He wants me to expect him to deliver with the stuff that he and I both know I cannot accomplish. I, we, need to dare to pray for the big stuff.
The idea of praying for miracles is basic to Christian life. We pray for healing that is beyond medical skills. We pray to be delivered from natural disasters (I pray a lot for hurricanes to stay out in the ocean!). We pray for the needs of family, friends, country, and world. Miracles are something we want. They represent the hand of God active in our world. They reassure us that God has not forgotten us. They remind us that it is not all in our hands. Miracles represent the big stuff.
When the widow went to the unrighteous judge (Luke 18:1ff), she knew she was demanding something she could not deliver for herself. She had to have help from a greater source. Jesus said that she received what she wanted because of her confidence that the judge had the power to give her what she wanted and because she had the persevering spirit that would never let him forget it. She went after the big stuff.
I look at my churches. I hear their dreams. I listen to their prayers. Rarely do I hear them praying for the big stuff, the kind of stuff that only God can do. Where that does come into play, it usually involves keeping some saint out of heaven or at least out of pain. That may be seen as as worthy prayer and in many cases something only God can do, but our prayers for the big stuff should never be limited to physical needs.
When do we pray for the matters of heavenly importance and concern? Jesus said that our Father already knows about our earthly needs. How much time do we spend praying for Kingdom righteousness? How much time do we spend praying for transformed lives and churches? How much time do we spend praying for things that have eternal significance? That's the big stuff.
Here are some prayer topics I'd like to hear in our prayer meetings. Boldness in sharing our Christian testimonies in the marketplace. New Testament moral guidelines for political decisions. Families committed to having Christ in the center of their homes. Walls of prejudice destroyed in our lives and communities. Courage to make the Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12 the personal rule for our lives. True grief over the lost condition of so many souls around us. The demand for power would be surrendered to the desire to serve. Material bounty would be seen as a blessing to help those with less. Secular jobs to be seen as missionary opportunities. Higher emphasis upon church members at work in the fields and less on sitting in the pews. And yes, the list could go on.
This is the big stuff, the transformation that only God can perform. You have to be courageous to pray for the big stuff. When God answers those kinds of prayers, he usually demands that we be part of the answer.
The idea of praying for miracles is basic to Christian life. We pray for healing that is beyond medical skills. We pray to be delivered from natural disasters (I pray a lot for hurricanes to stay out in the ocean!). We pray for the needs of family, friends, country, and world. Miracles are something we want. They represent the hand of God active in our world. They reassure us that God has not forgotten us. They remind us that it is not all in our hands. Miracles represent the big stuff.
When the widow went to the unrighteous judge (Luke 18:1ff), she knew she was demanding something she could not deliver for herself. She had to have help from a greater source. Jesus said that she received what she wanted because of her confidence that the judge had the power to give her what she wanted and because she had the persevering spirit that would never let him forget it. She went after the big stuff.
I look at my churches. I hear their dreams. I listen to their prayers. Rarely do I hear them praying for the big stuff, the kind of stuff that only God can do. Where that does come into play, it usually involves keeping some saint out of heaven or at least out of pain. That may be seen as as worthy prayer and in many cases something only God can do, but our prayers for the big stuff should never be limited to physical needs.
When do we pray for the matters of heavenly importance and concern? Jesus said that our Father already knows about our earthly needs. How much time do we spend praying for Kingdom righteousness? How much time do we spend praying for transformed lives and churches? How much time do we spend praying for things that have eternal significance? That's the big stuff.
Here are some prayer topics I'd like to hear in our prayer meetings. Boldness in sharing our Christian testimonies in the marketplace. New Testament moral guidelines for political decisions. Families committed to having Christ in the center of their homes. Walls of prejudice destroyed in our lives and communities. Courage to make the Golden Rule of Matthew 7:12 the personal rule for our lives. True grief over the lost condition of so many souls around us. The demand for power would be surrendered to the desire to serve. Material bounty would be seen as a blessing to help those with less. Secular jobs to be seen as missionary opportunities. Higher emphasis upon church members at work in the fields and less on sitting in the pews. And yes, the list could go on.
This is the big stuff, the transformation that only God can perform. You have to be courageous to pray for the big stuff. When God answers those kinds of prayers, he usually demands that we be part of the answer.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
People Investments
I have a retirement program into which I make regular financial investments in preparation for a future that may or may not ever arrive. By most that is considered wise planning. I wish I could invest more, but there is no chance of a future unless I also take care of today.
Whether we realize it or not, we are all investing in the people around us. Sometimes that is intentional. Many times it is not. You can call it mentoring, teaching, directing, or simply influencing. Whatever name you give it, you are investing in people.
As couples we are investing in our spouses. As parents we invest in our children. As workers on the job we invest through our efforts and work ethic in the lives of employers, coworkers, and employees. In our churches we are investing in our membership. As leaders we do it with a high level of intentionality, but everyone does it to one extent or another. And it all relates to our present and our future.
Investing in people should be intentional. As followers of Christ we should always be seeking to influence others in a way that will point them to the relationship they need with Jesus. Our daily actions will influence others as they watch us and interact with us. Our speech will reveal the priorities of our hearts. Our words, tone, and body language will convey a desire to build up or tear down. No matter what we do, for better or for worse we will be investing in people.
Jesus invested his ministry in his followers. He chose twelve to walk with him. He chose three to share in his most critical moments. As church leaders we would do well to follow such an example. The next generation of leaders will look to someone to see what to do or what not to do. If they can see the positive in you, then your investment in their lives will be to the benefit of many yet to come.
Paul's command to his young disciple in I Timothy 4:12 is clear wisdom for all of us. Set an example for the believers in speech, life, love, faith, and purity. Be intentional in pouring yourself into the life or lives of one or more who will carry the mantle after you are gone. Your name is not important, only Christ's. What you have received from others is very important. Share the teaching and set the example of a crucified life in this world, faithfully carrying out the work of the Master until he returns to claim his own.
Whether we realize it or not, we are all investing in the people around us. Sometimes that is intentional. Many times it is not. You can call it mentoring, teaching, directing, or simply influencing. Whatever name you give it, you are investing in people.
As couples we are investing in our spouses. As parents we invest in our children. As workers on the job we invest through our efforts and work ethic in the lives of employers, coworkers, and employees. In our churches we are investing in our membership. As leaders we do it with a high level of intentionality, but everyone does it to one extent or another. And it all relates to our present and our future.
Investing in people should be intentional. As followers of Christ we should always be seeking to influence others in a way that will point them to the relationship they need with Jesus. Our daily actions will influence others as they watch us and interact with us. Our speech will reveal the priorities of our hearts. Our words, tone, and body language will convey a desire to build up or tear down. No matter what we do, for better or for worse we will be investing in people.
Jesus invested his ministry in his followers. He chose twelve to walk with him. He chose three to share in his most critical moments. As church leaders we would do well to follow such an example. The next generation of leaders will look to someone to see what to do or what not to do. If they can see the positive in you, then your investment in their lives will be to the benefit of many yet to come.
Paul's command to his young disciple in I Timothy 4:12 is clear wisdom for all of us. Set an example for the believers in speech, life, love, faith, and purity. Be intentional in pouring yourself into the life or lives of one or more who will carry the mantle after you are gone. Your name is not important, only Christ's. What you have received from others is very important. Share the teaching and set the example of a crucified life in this world, faithfully carrying out the work of the Master until he returns to claim his own.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Bivocational Ministers - Precious Servants
Last week my wife and I attended the annual state convention small church/bivocational ministers retreat at one of our conference centers. The setting in the Uwharrie Mountains was beautiful and the testimonies of these servant leaders left me both inspired and humbled. These pastors and directors of missions may be partially funded but they are definitely fully involved in their ministries.
The Apostle Paul said that the man of God is worthy of his hire, but he was also one to say that he proudly worked to pay his own expenses. He took the offerings of churches such as that in Philippi, but he saw these as extra blessings from God that served more to reward the givers than himself as the recipient. Paul worked a secular job because it set him free from any unnecessary ties to a local congregation. Financially he was free to come and go. He was in the middle of the society he was trying to reach. He proved himself to be a man of integrity that was beholden to no one but God.
Bivocational ministers represent a growing class of Christian servants in our society. With the coming demise of the builder generation that paid most of the bills for our churches, new sources of support for our ministers must be found even as we seek to teach younger generations the biblical basis of tithing. The bivocational ministry lifestyle represents one of the most positive. One denominational leader recently has said that within a few decades perhaps half of our pastors will need to be bivocational. New church planters are being told that bivocational status may be a necessary part of their work if they are to have a healthy church plant.
The blessings of a bivocational ministry setting include many that are limited or ignored by being a fully funded minister. Among these are being involved with the secular world on an ongoing basis. Fellow workers, employers, and employees constitute a relational family different from the church, opening doors to ministry that would otherwise be closed or unknown.
Church members are required to see themselves as ministers because the "paid" staff will not always be available due to work schedules. The lay leadership must step forward and get the work done instead of waiting for the pastor to take care of matters. Spiritual gifts takes on a more obvious and critical role as the church membership must become the church in action.
The finacnial situation can bring additional blessings as the bivocational minister receives income from a source in addition to the church. This financial support might include extra retirement and health insurance that the church would be hard pressed to provide. These church funds then become available for other ministry and mission needs.
I have often called these men and women in bivocational ministry "God's Jugglers". They must find time for secular jobs, church ministry, personal spiritual development, and THEIR FAMILIES. As the congregation supports their bivocational pastor, they must provide that encouragement to make personal family time a priority. If the church family will understand and cooperate, there is no reason for a bivocational minister's family to feel any ill effect from the minister' work.
In associational work we must applaud our bivocational ministers, we must pray for them, and we must support them in every way we can. Without them a lot of churches would never get started and a lot of developing churches would close their doors.
The Apostle Paul said that the man of God is worthy of his hire, but he was also one to say that he proudly worked to pay his own expenses. He took the offerings of churches such as that in Philippi, but he saw these as extra blessings from God that served more to reward the givers than himself as the recipient. Paul worked a secular job because it set him free from any unnecessary ties to a local congregation. Financially he was free to come and go. He was in the middle of the society he was trying to reach. He proved himself to be a man of integrity that was beholden to no one but God.
Bivocational ministers represent a growing class of Christian servants in our society. With the coming demise of the builder generation that paid most of the bills for our churches, new sources of support for our ministers must be found even as we seek to teach younger generations the biblical basis of tithing. The bivocational ministry lifestyle represents one of the most positive. One denominational leader recently has said that within a few decades perhaps half of our pastors will need to be bivocational. New church planters are being told that bivocational status may be a necessary part of their work if they are to have a healthy church plant.
The blessings of a bivocational ministry setting include many that are limited or ignored by being a fully funded minister. Among these are being involved with the secular world on an ongoing basis. Fellow workers, employers, and employees constitute a relational family different from the church, opening doors to ministry that would otherwise be closed or unknown.
Church members are required to see themselves as ministers because the "paid" staff will not always be available due to work schedules. The lay leadership must step forward and get the work done instead of waiting for the pastor to take care of matters. Spiritual gifts takes on a more obvious and critical role as the church membership must become the church in action.
The finacnial situation can bring additional blessings as the bivocational minister receives income from a source in addition to the church. This financial support might include extra retirement and health insurance that the church would be hard pressed to provide. These church funds then become available for other ministry and mission needs.
I have often called these men and women in bivocational ministry "God's Jugglers". They must find time for secular jobs, church ministry, personal spiritual development, and THEIR FAMILIES. As the congregation supports their bivocational pastor, they must provide that encouragement to make personal family time a priority. If the church family will understand and cooperate, there is no reason for a bivocational minister's family to feel any ill effect from the minister' work.
In associational work we must applaud our bivocational ministers, we must pray for them, and we must support them in every way we can. Without them a lot of churches would never get started and a lot of developing churches would close their doors.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Freedom and Security
Several years ago while on a mission trip to Ukraine, I heard our interpreter make a rather disturbing comment about his nation. In brief he said that many of his countrymen would gladly go back to the days of the Soviet dominance in return for a guaranteed job, paycheck, and pension. This idea that security is to be preferred to freedom is repeated in a quote by H.L. Mencken from the book Why You Do the Things You Do by Clinton and Sibcy. Mencken says, "The average man does not want to be free. He wants to be safe." (p. 15)
Having just come through another Independence Day holiday season, I am reminded again of the struggle we must continually face and the tension in which we must live to have what we call a free country. Our history is fraught with this dilemma of freedom versus security. The more we have of one the less we have of the other. At what point are we willing to sacrifice one to guarantee the other?
A significant percentage of colonials did not feel the war of rebellion against the mother country was worth the social risks. Yet even those who cried out, "Give me liberty or give me death" knew that there could be no liberty without the order that only law could provide, hence limiting the very freedom for which they were willing to die.
I have often thought that America contains within its breast the seeds that could easily spell its doom and destruction. To be free brings its own risks. Social man has never shown himself able to handle freedom in a manner that is both responsible and non destructive. Freedom can only be sustained through the use of power; yet power, and the control it provides, is the one thing that freedom cannot tolerate.
Tony Campolo, former professor at what once was Eastern Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, said that the use of control and love must always be inversely proportional. The more one seeks to control the less love can be shown. The more one loves the less control will be exerted. Perhaps only in the parent - child relationship can we approach the positive use of both. Perhaps only in the Divine Father - mortal child relationship can control and love both be practiced in perfection.
Scripture rather clearly states that man was born to serve. Only in his sinful bent does he dream of the idea of being his own master. In truth his only free choice is who his master will be. Perhaps our churches and the Kingdom of God would be better served if we preached more on the divine plan of human security under the Lordship of Christ and less on the human need for freedom. Ask any member of the persecuted church in countries we deem less free than our own. Would they rather have the American dream of political freedom or the knowledge that they can be free only as they find their freedom in their slavery to Jesus Christ?
Having just come through another Independence Day holiday season, I am reminded again of the struggle we must continually face and the tension in which we must live to have what we call a free country. Our history is fraught with this dilemma of freedom versus security. The more we have of one the less we have of the other. At what point are we willing to sacrifice one to guarantee the other?
A significant percentage of colonials did not feel the war of rebellion against the mother country was worth the social risks. Yet even those who cried out, "Give me liberty or give me death" knew that there could be no liberty without the order that only law could provide, hence limiting the very freedom for which they were willing to die.
I have often thought that America contains within its breast the seeds that could easily spell its doom and destruction. To be free brings its own risks. Social man has never shown himself able to handle freedom in a manner that is both responsible and non destructive. Freedom can only be sustained through the use of power; yet power, and the control it provides, is the one thing that freedom cannot tolerate.
Tony Campolo, former professor at what once was Eastern Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, said that the use of control and love must always be inversely proportional. The more one seeks to control the less love can be shown. The more one loves the less control will be exerted. Perhaps only in the parent - child relationship can we approach the positive use of both. Perhaps only in the Divine Father - mortal child relationship can control and love both be practiced in perfection.
Scripture rather clearly states that man was born to serve. Only in his sinful bent does he dream of the idea of being his own master. In truth his only free choice is who his master will be. Perhaps our churches and the Kingdom of God would be better served if we preached more on the divine plan of human security under the Lordship of Christ and less on the human need for freedom. Ask any member of the persecuted church in countries we deem less free than our own. Would they rather have the American dream of political freedom or the knowledge that they can be free only as they find their freedom in their slavery to Jesus Christ?
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