All are welcome, except...

Today's Wall Street Journal offered its readers an article entitled, "Banned From Church." The byline, "Reviving an ancient practice, churches are exposing sinners and shunning those who won't repent." The author shows instances where churches large and small across the U.S. are removing people from their congregations. "Pastors in churches across the country are expelling members for offenses ranging from adultery and theft to gossiping, skipping service, and criticizing church leaders." Yikes.

It raises the question about what is the church, a gathering of the saved and sanctified, a hospital for sinners, or a gathering of people who are in "bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves." As a Lutheran pastor, I'm biased toward the latter. Who among us after all is without sin? Who hasn't criticized a church leader, decided to worship at St. Mattress of the Springs, or found themselves engaged in gossip? Even the most spiritual Christians are prone to sin. Bottom line, we all need Christ and the church is a place where we all come to find hope, unconditional love and acceptance. What changes people after all? Being excluded or unconditional acceptance? How does God act toward us?

I worry that the church will become like the wealthy gated communities in America's suburbs where only certain types of people who can 'play well with others' are welcome. Let's be honest, life is messy and so is the gathering of God's people. The more we try and control the gathering, the more we risk becoming Pharisaical Christians and drift from the heart of God.

Clearly, any church leader will tell you (myself included) that there are dysfunctional people in every congregation and there are dysfunctional pastors and church leaders within the wider church as well. These hurting people hurt people. The question always is how do live faithfully together as a body of Christ, where there are emotionally, spiritually, and mentally healthy and non-healthy among us?

Most of the time we exclude, but don't expel people we don't like in our churches. This is equally as bad, but more polite, than the overt actions taken by churches to expel members. An article written about how we exclude members from our conversations, groups, ministries, sacraments, etc because of personality differences or past offenses needs to follow the WSJ article. As Christians we need to heed the tough words from Jesus as well as the ones that comfort us; words like, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven."

Is church discipline needed at times? Yes. But I believe just as a healthy human body tends to move toward greater health, so the church as Christ's body will do so. As the church and it's leadership are healthy as a whole, the unhealthy behaviors and activities will be naturally unwelcome without overt expulsion. Do healthy human bodies get sick? Yes. Then, and only then, wise, knowledgeable, and appropriate intervention from outside sources (e.g. a doctor for a human being) is needed. There are times that congregations needed intervention. Every church is imperfect just as our bodies are imperfect, and there are times consultants are brought in to help a congregation work together better.

Bottom line: We're all in this together. Let's pray for one another.

Covered in it

Recently I read an experience with Jesus that made me reflect...

Once, when he was in one of the cities, there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground and begged him, "Lord, if you choose, you can make me clean." Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, "I do choose. Be made clean." Immediately the leprosy left him. (Luke 5)

Probably all of us are not stricken with leprosy, thankfully. But today we may find ourselves covered in shame, guilt, worry, fear, failure, and/or a number of negatives. Those feelings tend to isolate us; an isolation imposed by ourselves different than the community isolation that faces lepers and yet isolation none the less and as painful and lonely. We may think, "Who after all wants to be around me and my problems?"

The man with leprosy courageously took a chance on God and asked to be made clean. Jesus compassionately respond with acceptance, grace, and healing. Can we do the same with Jesus, to take a chance on God to cleanse us from all that covers us?

God's care

Last week, my wife had surgery and spent a couple days in the hospital. Everything went well and the recovery while painful has been smooth so far. In the evening of the day of her surgery, after dinner I took Ethan over to the hospital to see his mommy. He was cool and calm going into the hospital and he knew that Jana had surgery. But when we got in the room, he slowed way down. He went over to the side of the bed with a concerned look on his face. Jana was more pale than normal and had an oxygen tube in her nose, but felt fine. He just stood there and stared. We asked if he was ok and he nodded yes. Then he came over and sat in my lap and began to cry a bit. He was concerned. He calmed down and did pretty well after the initial few minutes. But when we were walking to the car, I heard him sniffling.

“I miss mommy.” He said.

We got in the car and as we drove down the road he started crying again.

“She’s going to be ok buddy,” I said to reassure him

“I know.”

“Are you worried?”

“Yes,” he nodded with tears.

“God will be with her. He’s always with her. He cares and can help her.” I said

“The nurse helps her too.” he replied

“You’re right,” I said, “God uses the nurse and others to help mommy.

“I bet God never goes to bed,” Ethan says. I smiled. Out of the mouths of babes comes truth. It reminded me of Psalm 121, “He who keeps you will never slumber nor sleep.” No, I didn’t quote the psalm to him, but it did enter my head. There was nothing more I could say.

Thanks for reading.