Rights and Responsibilities

Heard today how some clergy were becoming members of Unison (the union) so that they have support for them in what they obviously perceive will be a battle over their rights.

A few days back I chatted to a member of the clergy who was telling me about all their rights and how the church needs to understand and respect them  . . . or else!

Often meet with members of church and and other organisations who are all too ready to tell me about their rights and what 'they deserve' or are 'entitled to' and to be honest it is just beginning to grind and grate and tug just a little too much for it to be comfortable.

Many years ago I was a member of a fraternity who found themselves very much acted against and to be honest, distrusted and quite despised. As a result of (misplaced) popular opinion this group found themselves legislated against in the sort of popularist, kneejerk way, that humankind excels at. Interestingly though, the kneejerk response aside, the clever people said that if legislation was passed then certain things would occur and some of society's ill would be remedied. Sadly though some seventeen years later that which they hoped to see change has actually gotten worse.

Now the incident that started it all was William Hamilton's murder of innocent children in Dunblane in 1996 and the subsequent law which removed handguns from the hands of those who legally held and used them did nothing to diminish gun crime, in fact the very opposite has occurred (I'll give you my theories some time . . but best continue).

The thing about having rights is that with them come responsibilities and yet I find it interesting that these days rights are what many people assume to have and responsibility appears to be what others have when it comes to the fulfilling of the expectations of those with rights.

Christianity is all about getting something because of grace, we don't get forgiveness, eternal life and the  other 'benefits' of Christ's death because we deserve them - they are not a right but a gift. But in accepting that gift of grace poured out on the tree for us, we do find ourselves with responsibilities.

We have the responsibility to keep commandments - even when they deny what we think is a right - for let's be frank, many of the things people tell me are rights are actually little more than selfish, soulish and often unchristian desires. They are all about 'me' rather than reflecting who Jesus is and what he has done for us and how He lives in, and through, our lives today.

We have the responsibility to read our Bibles and pray daily and develop our knowledge and faith and when we don't we are failing in our duty and putting aside our responsibilities as believers.

We have the responsibility to put our obedience, worship and devotion to Christ before our personal pleasures, desires and ambitions.

We have the call to love one another and the duty to avoid making any one cause the defining sin; to avoid labelling any one group and without merit or unloved; to avoid preaching hatred and right or sin as acceptable.

We have the responsibility to proclaim and live out God's love in our own lives and as a covering for others.

If you don't agree, that's cool, but please don't kid yourself (or con others) that what you do is a right, Christian, or is right either - for even though it may well be such in the eyes of the world in the eyes of God, and in His sacrifice and commitment to us, it is merely selfish and sinful (and I don't expect this to be that popular) and therefore wrong!

Let's stop and have a reflect on the words of 2 Timothy 2:

'You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him;
if we endure, we will also reign with him.
If we disown him, he will also disown us;
if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

Keep reminding God’s people of these things. warn them before God against quarrelling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 

Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.  Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 

Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels and the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.'

Church and the things that matter!

It is odd but as I work to become a recovering workaholic (I can stop doing stuff, I'm just a bit too busy to do it at the moment) I find my engagements bring me into contact with so many people who have their own list of what is important. The interesting thing is that the list varies wildly from person to person and every now and then I find a new, and sometimes odd, concern that I have never thought of.

This week, the three major concerns (in no particular order) have been:

Time off - met people who told me that I 'must' take time off for conferences, retreats, courses and the like. Apparently I'm not functioning well unless I do at least two from a list which included Spring Harvest, Soul Survivor, New Wine, Greenbelt, Leadership conferences, Alpha Conferences, retreats, day conferences and the like.

Numbers - The church is pretty obsessed by numbers and the issue of sustainability is high on the agenda of many with whom I engage in my missioner role. The problem is that we are concerned with how many BOPS (Bum On Pews) we have and not without good reason for one minister I spoke with was in a declining church and was desperate to make the 100 on a Sunday benchmark so that they could be a 'larger church', something they felt brought credibility and the potential for longevity.

Sadly, some of those I spoke to were moved towards church growth merely because they couldn't pay the parish share, sad because I thought that Matthew 28 should provide enough impetus on its own. in fact parish share and the spectre of a contracting church were the sword of Dan O'Cleese (sic!) that rendered impotence and energised in equal measure across my conversations.

Healthy Dogcollar or Healthy Church - the most interesting of all has to be this issue. Should the dogcollar be out there meeting people, winning the lost, standing with the broken and disposed and generally doing the stuff or should the dogcollar be more concerned with reading their Bible, building up themselves, going on retreats and generally being concerned with their own spiritual wellbeing at the expense of the church?

A few told me that what was most important was their own walk and that if this meant that the church took second place then so be it. A healthy, committed and Spirit-filled minister who took a day off each way to pray and read their Bible, took time to attend meetings that built them up and restricted evening engagements to but one a week was the primary goal, for it was first and foremost about them and their walk first.

Others told me that they were concerned with the church they were in and that this mean that they were called to support, guide and lead them. Putting themselves second and those they served first was apparently a recipe for a growing and healthy church but a sometimes tired and stretched dogcollar, but, they said, "Isn't this the calling? Aren't we supposed to take up our cross every day?"

Some insight into the things that others see important and some of the conversations this week. Interesting things because the work/life/spiritual balance is important (says he who often gets it wrong) and whilst we have a calling as Christian, there is also the calling as dogcollars and all that that brings to the party. What do you think I wonder?

One dogcollar told me that he knows more stressed than happy clergy and mentioned a few who he knew who had pulled stumps and gone of to 'something else'. A sad situation indeed :(

Pax