My heart is heavy tonight. Ugh. We spent a sweet afternoon and night and day with our friends and fellow pastor and wife about 50 miles from here. There is great contention in their church, and our friend was back today 5 weeks post-cardiac-surgery. Evil attitudes and unhealthy attachments have run rampant in this church and I have a hard time believing that neither of our friends could have dealt with these issues before they became SO HUGE.
The deal is this: in our church, if Rob and I had visitors, the people would practically bowl them over with love. They’d shake hands and talk to our visitors, they’d make sure they had coffee and cookies, and had signed the guest book. Rob and I would have a hard time leaving, because people would be trying to chat up our visitors. That is how our people operate.
In the church we visited today, our friend introduced us around while her pastor-husband got ready for worship. Nobody asked who we were. She introduced us to people as “our friends: pastor and wife from The Big City” and introduced a few people to us. I tried making conversation with a few of the people, but they all looked away.
The one fellow who would talk with us, did not talk especially nicely about the pastor. It was such a weird weird vibe and after having experienced that today, my heart hurts for my dear friends. Can they REALLY not know where the problem lies? Can they really be so ill-received?
There was one couple in particular who avoided our friends LIKE THE PLAGUE, and us as well. I stepped into her path, on purpose, knowing she was an instigator in the bad situation going on. She got a smirk on her face and said to her grandson, “Get over here, You!” and walked RIGHT OUT THE DOOR.
I am certianly not saying that I am some sort of put-back-together-er… or even more than just a decent human being who LOVES HER LORD. But sheesh! In our church, I am so well received. I can talk and DO talk with anyone and everyone. If someone seems left out, I will bring them into a conversation, give them a hug, or do whatever my Lord asks me to… in my church I am not persecuted (much!) and if I am, I take the bull by the horns and talk to the person who is upsetting me.
I just don’t get it.
Meanwhile, http://www.ccli.com/worshipresources/SongStories.cfm?itemID=7 and this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoNeeHbM7Og










































