reversal of power

[Scott]

I found the following quote from a good article in Christianity Today about how denominations and splintering has changed the relation of the church to the individual: "Once the individual hoped for acceptance by the church. Now the church hoped for acceptance by the individual."

 

[crhoades]

Originally posted by Scott
I found the following quote from a good article in Christianity Today about how denominations and splintering has changed the relation of the church to the individual: "Once the individual hoped for acceptance by the church. Now the church hoped for acceptance by the individual."

That is because the church has quit hoping for acceptance by God.

 

[Anton Bruckner]

consumer based society If the customer is not served right, they take their business elsewhere

Imagine the church now has to operate like a regular business entity by increasing customer base and engaging in customer retention. This all leads to the customer ooops, the individual Christian holding all the marbles.

 

[Scott]

Keon - you are right on the money.

 

[Canadian Baptist]

Chris said:

That is because the church has quit hoping for acceptance by God.

Agreed.
From where I stand, many of us would like to "submit to those who have the rule over you", but that rule is often so pervasively pathetic. Submission to many of our churches in evangelicalism would amount to closing our eyes and being partakers of their evil deeds. I have never seen a church use discipline and rarely have seen church leadership even exhort their people toward good deeds and holiness without fear of upsetting the weak and easily offended "christians" sitting before them each week. But oh baby can we worship....

[Edited on 10-28-2005 by Canadian Baptist]

 

[Scott]

From where I stand, many of us would like to "submit to those who have the rule over you", but that rule is often so pervasively pathetic. Submission to many of our churches in evangelicalism would amount to closing our eyes and being partakers of their evil deeds. I have never seen a church use discipline and rarely have seen church leadership even exhort their people toward good deeds and holiness without fear of upsetting the weak and easily offended "christians" sitting before them each week. But oh baby can we worship....

Probably a byproduct of denominationalism and the proliferation of church options. Interesting perspective from history. In the days of the colonies, the Virginians often did not retain a full-time pastor but would pay them per sermon or service. This led to very anemic messages from the pulpit. The pastors were afraid of not being invited back.

An Anglican missionary from England visited the colonies and was shocked at how to pastors would turn blind eyes to the grossest sins out of fear for not being able to make a living.

The situation today is similar. Denominations and congregations compete for members. One commentator said that this status makes pastors creatures of the people. There is allot of truth to this for many pastors and congregations. A stern message can send people elsewhere.

In the end, I think a congregation must ask why its exists. And pastors must ask what the Bible teaches the calling of pastor to be.

Things are allot different than when we had established churches and a parish system, which required people to participate in the life of their own parish.

 

[NaphtaliPress]

This attitude spills over into pastoral counseling as well; folks shop around for a minister who final tells them what they wanted to hear.

 

[bond-servant]

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

 

[Scott]

And Jer. 5:31: "The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and my people love it this way. But what will you do in the end?"