Rotten Fruit & Itchy Ears: The Real Pandemic Infecting The American Christian Church
I think we can all agree that the year 2020 is a weird time to be a person. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve said that.
2020 has felt like an earthquake opening up chasms. (Sometimes literal earthquakes.) Shattering a landscape that was familiar. Revealing all the layers of mess and division that existed under the surface. Bubbling, molten anger and fear.
If being alive is weird now, being a Christian is even weirder. The very people called to be peacemakers. The very people called not to fear. The very people called to unity are fractured and divided. Each a chief of their own tribe at war against all the other tribes. Unwilling to bend or collaborate or listen. Grasping for power.
The things the world should recognize us by:
Love Compassion Patience Faithfulness Joy Peace Kindness Gentleness Self control
..the very things that should distinguish us, are vanishing from sight. And it is breaking my heart.
I’m seeing something happen in the church, something that’s happening to pastors that I want to reveal.
As a pastor’s wife, here’s what I see: * People are being discipled by things/voices that have not earned the privilege to disciple them. * Christians are being discipled by things and people that do not care for them or have their best interest at heart. * Christians are being discipled by people who do not even know Jesus.
Why are we allowing this to happen? It caters right to our fears and insecurities and sinful desires.
2 Tim 4:3 has come to mind over and over again throughout the last several years. “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
How can we put more trust in something on the internet or saw on a biased news source than in the people God placed in leadership in their very own living, breathing community? I’m not calling people to put blind trust in their pastors, not at all. Discernment and wisdom are important. Not all pastors are worth following. (That’s a whole other post for someone else to write. In fact, they already exist.) BUT what I’m seeing is a considerable lack of trust happening here.
Brothers and Sisters: what are you letting disciple you? A political party or Twitter feed or YouTube channel? Does that discipler love and know you?
Will you allow the pastors God has placed in your very own church community the opportunity to teach you? To challenge you? To lead you in the way of Jesus? Then approach your interactions with those God has placed in leadership with humility, love, and compassion.
People of Jesus: the world knows we are disciples of something. May they clearly see the one whom we follow. May they see our love. May they see the fruits of the Spirit. May they see Jesus.
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Gal 5:22-23
By guest author Grace Cramer
https://gracecramer.wixsite.com/mysite