Yeaaaah ... I'm gonna have to ask you to leave.
There's this church (I've never been there) where a girl got knocked up - so they kicked her out. She was really sorry that she was pregnant. She apologized to everyone, but they still kicked her out.
Now, I only know about this church because of one particularly awkward conversation with one particularly rabid conservative. His response to the news of this church was, "The only reason that seems strange is because our churches don't follow scripture. They are weak and don't have the guts to kick people out when they sin."
It was immediately obvious that this boy had never sinned, and therefore didn't need kicked out of any churches. I need kicked out of a lot of churches. I sin all the time. I'm just really glad that God doesn't take the approach that this boy took. My God is a God of second chances (and ...*grabs calculator* ... 490th chances.) Isn't it going to be awkward for that boy when he gets to the pearly gates and Jesus says, "Come on in, but before you go in ... Why didn't you offer her grace? Why didn't you offer anyone grace?"
I'm a methodist, and we have a social policy of letting just about anyone become a member. I don't even think a person needs to be a Christian to be a member. I would want to know why a non-Christian would want membership, but I would rather have an honest athiest than a dishonest (pretend) Christian member. I know this is pretty liberal, but I would rather err on the side of grace. I think that Paul failed Christ when he threw the man out of the church because of an unrepent sexual sin. I think that he should have shown more love and grace. This is one of the times that I think we use Paul as an example of what to uphold when really this is in the Bible as an example of what not to do. Paul shares humanity with me. He is just as likely to make a mistake as I am. I think he did the wrong thing - and I think we need to stop making Paul and his writings into an idol.
If anyone disagrees with me, I hope that they show me grace ... or kick me out of "their" church.
Now, I only know about this church because of one particularly awkward conversation with one particularly rabid conservative. His response to the news of this church was, "The only reason that seems strange is because our churches don't follow scripture. They are weak and don't have the guts to kick people out when they sin."
It was immediately obvious that this boy had never sinned, and therefore didn't need kicked out of any churches. I need kicked out of a lot of churches. I sin all the time. I'm just really glad that God doesn't take the approach that this boy took. My God is a God of second chances (and ...*grabs calculator* ... 490th chances.) Isn't it going to be awkward for that boy when he gets to the pearly gates and Jesus says, "Come on in, but before you go in ... Why didn't you offer her grace? Why didn't you offer anyone grace?"
I'm a methodist, and we have a social policy of letting just about anyone become a member. I don't even think a person needs to be a Christian to be a member. I would want to know why a non-Christian would want membership, but I would rather have an honest athiest than a dishonest (pretend) Christian member. I know this is pretty liberal, but I would rather err on the side of grace. I think that Paul failed Christ when he threw the man out of the church because of an unrepent sexual sin. I think that he should have shown more love and grace. This is one of the times that I think we use Paul as an example of what to uphold when really this is in the Bible as an example of what not to do. Paul shares humanity with me. He is just as likely to make a mistake as I am. I think he did the wrong thing - and I think we need to stop making Paul and his writings into an idol.
If anyone disagrees with me, I hope that they show me grace ... or kick me out of "their" church.
posted by Michael Airgood at 3:17 PM
1 Comments:
So liberal!!
But also, very understanding of "my god"!!
I totally agree with you on the way you interpret how we should not have the kind of Love paul showed us, but the love Jesus showed us!!
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