I continually hear people telling me that I "need to shake of the dust" and leave the CofE."
This is the entreaty given by jesus to the twelve when He sends them out (Mk 6 //)
In fact, in the context of being sent out to preach the Gospel, jesus actually says:
"If that house refuses the message, leave it, shaking the dust off one's feet".
As I understand it, Jesus having first taught using parables and then resorting to miracles was rejected by those from within his home town. This having been the case, Jesus :
"Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
These were his instructions: "Take nothing for the journey except a staff--no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.
Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."
Mark 6: 7 - 11
Now this is obviously about sending out the twelve and is often used as the model for mission by many. In the commission and sending out is the explicit trust that God would provide (so we, like them should take nothing lest we go out in mistrust rather than faith?).
Having come to a place, if there was rejection of the messengers or the message then the dust was to be shaken of ( a parallel with that of shaking off the dust of a heathen place before re-entering the land of promise that was Jewish lands or territories. This was don as a sign that what was being left (the land or the place / home) was heather (i.e. where God was perceived not to be or have any part of).
It is a judgement against those who rejected the word when it was taken to them not something that was done in the places where God was perceived to be (as is our denomination and the gathering places and fellowships within it?).
Now, I think that you would be on a more Biblically accurate piece of ground were you to extol the virtues and practices found in 1 Cor 5:
"It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has his father's wife. And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man who did this? Even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. And I have already passed judgement on the one who did this, just as if I were present.
When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.
Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.
I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world.
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.
What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."
Now here you have something to work with and something to caution and control also.
Expel those who are immoral BUT beware the yeast!
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