Pedestals

We heard recently of accusations of inappropriate behaviour against another well known Christian leader. And of course there is no smoke without fire, so many queue up to point out the dangers, some even applaud the apparent fall. In a society that seems to promote celebrity culture, the raising onto a pedestal, those who we "follow" or like to watch on the media, we also seem to almost revel in their all too often fall from it.

Have we considered that in some way many of us in the Christian church have responsibility for these situations? Myself included. I have listened to Mark Driscoll (of Mars Hill Fame) and his often encouraging and challenging teaching. I have attended Soul Survivor weeks with teenagers. I have followed and read Bill Hybels (Willow Creek). I have read and enjoyed so much from Hillsong whose founder, Brian Houston is under investigation for a number of things.

How many of us rush to buy the latest books by famous Christian speakers and authors? How many of us go to see the latest in vogue, Christian performers or get the latest Christian songs into our churches? In a way all of this is a part of the "celebrity" culture of the times in which we live. Like it or not most of us have bought into this, even if we don't like admitting it.

Now a question, has anything changed over the years, the centuries? The Church has a history of raising up those who stand out for their, piety, service, preaching, song writing, leadership, sacrifice. There are so many names - Mother Teresa, Spurgeon, Wesley, Smith, Whitefield, Luther, Augustine to name a few. Their work continues to help us think about our faith and to worship our God. In their day these were celebrities.

Are we forgetting that all humans are vulnerable, all can be caught up in the position that they find themselves in because of a gift they have? Some find themselves or even strive to be put on a pedestal. The fame, the accolades and the wealth that can come with that being perhaps attractive, but maybe the sense of reaching so many being the real draw.

I am reminded of the man Philip and then Peter encountered in Acts 8 ...

(Act 8:18-20)  When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

 A man whose worldly sense of gain, wanted to have the gifts of God for his own benefit. It was open and overt, often the seduction that comes from a rise in notice and fame is not so overt. But then the temptations that come with this lurk in the background until they overwhelm or just draw upon our own sinful desires. 

It is not just those on the celebrity pedestal who are in danger of temptation. Anyone in any form of Christian leadership can fall foul of temptation. Pastors, Children's workers, Youth workers, Elders, Deacons, those in pastoral care, any with responsibility!

So should there be no "celebrities" in the Christian world, no book writers, song writers, leaders of note, no pastors or organisation leaders? I think there will also be those who are raised in this way because we all look up to those with such gifting's. However the real failing is that like so many film and pop celebrities, those who look up to them, us, forget to keep them accountable, forget to ask the hard questions like:

Was that appropriate? Does that action or activity honour God? Was that right? Are you behaving in your own life in an honouring way to God? Have you clear boundaries to protect yourselves and others? Are you accountable to others?

As Jesus told his disciples:

(Mar 10:42-45)  Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

To serve each other, we must each be accountable to each other. we must each be prepared to be asked and to ask the hard questions and not be angered by the asking, instead seeing this as the loving, caring desire of our brothers and sisters in Christ to help us stay in the right place and not succumb to temptation.

It saddens me that these falls happen and give the world another stick to try to bruise the church of Christ with. But as a closing thought, we need to pray for those called to lead, called to "great" things and if they fall, pray for them all the more as well for those impacted by whatever it is that they did.

Waiting and Timing

 In my yearly read through of the bible (it doesn't start in Jan 😀), I recently got to the end of the Old Testament and reflected a little on the long 400 year gap between the last Prophet and the coming of the Messiah. God's timing is not always ours is it? We are also pretty impatient in our technology focused world, driven by instant messaging, emails and social media. I sometimes wonder how the people who were back in Judea felt at the long gap, had some given up waiting while others tried to tie down behaviour to "ensure " that they were ready and while yet others exploited the situation seeking power and position?

How good are we at waiting? How good are we at jumping the gun a bit and trying to make things happen when we believe God has given us a direction and things seem slow happening? We were reminded in church recently of the story of Abram (Abraham) and Sara (Sarah). Childless they were promised a son by God, but nothing seemed to be happening.

(Gen 12:31)  The LORD had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you. "I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

How often do we like Abraham and Sarah try in our own strength to do what God has promised? In my experience that usually leads to problems, wrong directions and even heart-ache. Fortunately for Abraham and Sarah, God did give them the son who would be the root of blessing for all peoples, Isaac, even though they had produced Ishmael from a servant rather than wait.

Nicola and I thought last year that we had the next phase of our lives worked out. Retiring from a church and job that we both loved in Essex and which we knew we would miss, but realising it was time to hand over to a new minister, we prepared. Sold our home in Sussex (4 times in 6 months) and prepared for living near the sea. A few weeks before our retirement the buyer pulled out leaving us with no choice but to return to our house in mid-Sussex and see what the future held. We are trying one more time to see if the move to the sea is on this year. 

While I am convinced that retirement was to right thing and we are loving spending more time with family and grand-children we have questioned our plans for where to live. Does God want us where we have now returned to or is the move to the sea-side and a different adventure still the plan just not in our timing? We are enjoying being in the church here but continue to seek God's direction for what is next, here or the sea-side. His timing and plans are good and perfect, ours are often impatient and flawed.

I have just read Luke chapters 1-5 and the account of Jesus' the Messiahs birth. God did do as he had promised his people, just not in their timing and not in a way that they expected. Perhaps we need to learn patience and listening to God more than we have?