Don't be simplistic on church power

 

	Coping with power - 'do not be shocked' If you see employees of a multinational made redundant, do not be shocked because the announcement is always made prior to the annual shareholders meeting to improve cash results. If your Parliamentary member changes stance on a moral issue, do be not shocked for they have just been subjected to a concerted campaign of letter writing and lobbying from a pressure group. If corporate greed results in the fall of a company, do not be shocked at the sight, for the bosses were once tempted by the same adverts for condominiums in The Bahamas that you also find attractive. If you read about the existence of Nike factories paying $10.00 a day to Indonesian workers, do not be shocked at the sight. Think about the issues of sponsoring their basketball stars, selling inexpensive runners, and still satisfying the shareholders.  If you see oppression of the poor and denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight, for one official watches over another official, and there are higher officials over them. Ecclesiastes: 5:8 If the freeway traffic is worse than last year, do not be shocked at the sight for you also have an SUV, and you also voted against rises in road taxes. If third world corruption seems blatant, do not be shocked because the scale there was much lower before we introduced Sony, BMW and Gucci to them. If tropical rainforests are disappearing before your eyes, do not be shocked at the sight, for Teak makes the best luxury boat decking timber in the world. If the bishop seems slow on publicising sexual abuse cases, do not be shocked because there are many committees needed to approve prohibitive action.

Seven questions

1. Is the church power problem simply having the wrong people in charge? 

   • Like for two thousand years?

   • And all we need to do is get the right people in charge?

   • Are you serious?

2. Is it good to question power and authority? Or bad? 

   • If you're reading this website, I bet we don't need to go into depth on this one.

3. Does God support the US Government? 

   • Or the Peace movement?

   • Or the Environmental party?

   • Well, who does He support then?

4. Does the Bible value being a servant rather than a leader?

   • How come most modern churches run 'leadership' courses then?

5. Isn't the struggle for power really a squabble over resources, be those land, money, food etc?

   • Don't Christians claim they already have ALL things in Christ?

   • Well, why the church power struggles then?

6. Does God know the future? 

   • If God created the universe, did He know the institutional church would perpertuate some of the worst abuses of power possible?

7. Does ego come into it at any stage? Be honest now...

 Login/Register