An Elder's Dilemma

I was saddened during the week to receive the following prayer request through the International Christian Leadership electronic network.

This Elder's Church has been involved for about 2 years in outreach to chronically mentally ill patients at a home, bringing residents to worship services. Some had become members. However, a fair number of the core Church members felt uncomfortable and threatened. Consequently, the Church "Session" voted to exclude these disabled members from worship. The carers have taken to conducting special mid-week services at the home. But how does one tell these people that they cannot go to "their" Church to worship any-more?

This from the land of "free speech" and "freedom of religion". Please pray for this elder and his faithful band of carers. Also pray for the other members, that they might understand the "Acceptable year of the Lord".

----xxxXxxx----
Jn.8:7 "He that is without sin among you, cast the first stone"
Jn.1:46 "Nathanael said, 'Can anything good come out of Nazareth?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see'"
Mt.9:11 "The Pharisees said 'Why does your master eat with tax collectors and these sinners?'"
Lk.15:1 "Dishonest tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus' sermons. This caused complaints among the Jewish religious leaders
Isa.61:1 "...anointed to preach good tidings...to bind up the broken hearted...proclaim liberty to captives...opening prisons...to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord"
Ac.10:28 "...God has showed me that I should not call any man unclean"
Jas.2:5 "Hasn't God chosen the poor (in the eyes of the world) to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom?"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pentecost - from “Why?” to “Why not?”

One of the greatest inhibitors to personal and church growth is the FUD factor (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt). After the horror of Christ’s crucifixion, the incredulity then ecstasy of His resurrection and His times of sharing with His disciples, Jesus ascended to heaven. What did the disciples feel then? I’m sure they must have felt very “flat” after their mountain-top experiences, and probably uncertainty and doubts crept in - “ What do we do now?” , “ Why has He left us like this?” . In many ways, these phases in the birth of The Church mirror the phases in the birth and growth of our children. The teenage years are times of much questioning, of moving out from under the sheltering presence of parents, to discover one’s directions and goals in the ‘real’ world - these are the “Why?” years. Then the young adult blossoms, the world is at their feet and they are prepared to take on anything, with courage and determination. Just as parents must hold back in order to release thei...
Read more

The Trumpet of Salvation

In this past week, we have heard the trumpet call to remembrance of the Armistice and of the men and women who gave their lives in the defense of our country. Trumpets played a prominent role in Old Testament life. In rural civil life, it sounded the alarm of impending attack, calling the people together to close ranks, with a common purpose of defense. In religious life, the silver trumpet (shofar) announced special assemblies, feasts and holy days. Then in the month of ‘Tishri’ (October), a rams horn ‘shofar’ was blown to announce the ‘new year’ and to summon the nation to a week of spiritual preparation for the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The ram’s horn was a reminder of God’s provision of the substitutionary lamb for Abraham to sacrifice instead of Isaac ( Gen.22 ). The week of preparation involves self-examination, repentance and putting-right, but it is God who provides “atonement” (wiping out of the debt). In the New Testament, the trumpet is rarely mentioned. T...
Read more

Faith is a Oneway Ticket

1995 Back in '95, my younger brother developed a brain tumor. One day in his last weeks, his wife was beside his bed in Wesley Hospital in Brisbane. A girl friend arrived to visit and comfort my sister-in-law. At the end of the evening visiting hours, my sister-in-law said to her friend, " I'm afraid I'm not up to driving home. Would you mind driving? " " Of course dear. " said her friend. " I only bought a one-way train ticket ". At home, after a cup of tea, my sister-in-law, almost in tears, said to her friend, " I don't think I can bear being alone in this house to night. Would you mind staying over? ". " Of course! " said her friend. " I've got  nightie and toothbrush in my handbag! ".  Even angels sometimes travel by train (one way). 1939 In the 1930's a Chelsea church conducted a tent mission on the foreshore at Frankston, about 10km south, on the eastern coast of Port Philip Bay. From that missio...
Read more