Neale Donald Walsh
"Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend." -
-- Albert Camus
How often are we tempted in life to point the finger and say to so and so...your doing this wrong!!! Why don't you do it like this???
It seems to be human nature. We want people to do as we say not as we do.
Where is this more obvious then people we view as leaders or experts? You drive by a hospital and you see health care professionals out side shivering in the cold to have that cigarette. Dieticians eating at McDonald's and Taco Bell every day, we groomers who don't take time to brush our own dogs.....and yet again a list that goes on and on. We just kind of shrug our shoulders and say..well they are human!! Kinda like boys will be boys.
But what about the pulpit? IS it fair for us to expect them to lead a holier life then us? I'm not saying should we expect them (us) to be perfect. A pastor/preacher/priest is human and has human frailties. However, what about these so-called leaders that that spout venom (yes I said venom) against any one different, from the pulpit.
I ask this to my friends and readers because we are hearing more and more every day about preachers who have screamed fire and brimstone sermons from their pulpits against same sex relationships, against gluttony, against adultery, against coveting, against premarital sex, against pornography, against consuming alcohol....AGAINST AGAINST AGAINST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then these very same preachers fall from the pedestal we put them on, flat on their @sses, out of the pulpit. Are we unfair when we expect them to live to the same standards they preach so loudly?
I wholeheartedly agree with the biblical teaching of not judging:
JOHN 8: 7 (NIV)
“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
So what I am asking, do you feel preachers should A) be accountable for their actions B)practice what they preach C)be held to a slightly higher moral standard....or maybe just live amongst us and lead by example?
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Dear friends and readers,
I really do hope when you feel inspired to respond, you do so. I feel we can learn and grow a lot from each other. All I ask is respect, not condemnation of one another. I'm hoping to create a truly safe place for me to share my thoughts with you while learning from your beliefs, thoughts and experiences.
Shalom,
Carrie Lynn
I ask this to my friends and readers because we are hearing more and more every day about preachers who have screamed fire and brimstone sermons from their pulpits against same sex relationships, against gluttony, against adultery, against coveting, against premarital sex, against pornography, against consuming alcohol....AGAINST AGAINST AGAINST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Then these very same preachers fall from the pedestal we put them on, flat on their @sses, out of the pulpit. Are we unfair when we expect them to live to the same standards they preach so loudly?
I wholeheartedly agree with the biblical teaching of not judging:
JOHN 8: 7 (NIV)
“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
So what I am asking, do you feel preachers should A) be accountable for their actions B)practice what they preach C)be held to a slightly higher moral standard....or maybe just live amongst us and lead by example?
*******************************************************************************
Dear friends and readers,
I really do hope when you feel inspired to respond, you do so. I feel we can learn and grow a lot from each other. All I ask is respect, not condemnation of one another. I'm hoping to create a truly safe place for me to share my thoughts with you while learning from your beliefs, thoughts and experiences.
Shalom,
Carrie Lynn
3 comments:
As you know I grew up Free Will Baptist and was a Southern Baptist ministers wife for 8 years. Both denominations are legalistic, particularly the former. The preachers, by the very nature of the position, set themselves up (and are set up) for more than is humanly possible. Although they will deny that their worth as a minister is determined by how well they keep the rules, it is true. They are supposed to be super human and it is not possible.
The southern baptist church was a bit more lenient than the free will I grew up in, so I thought they were liberal (how sad is that). But now that I'm older I see the legalism in them as well.
People have to realize that the expectations they set up for other people is the expectation they will be judged by. You cannot stand on a soap box screaming hellfire and brimstone at imperfect people and not expect people to get a sick pleasure out of it when you fall off the box for your own imperfection. I admit I'm guilty.
This is where the angel and demon allegory you discussed in another blog comes in...my little demons get WAY too much pleasure out of seeing holier than thou people fall off the wagon.
My best friends and I discussed this a little bit the other night. I think our leaders (be it social, political, spiritual, whatever) are absolutely held to a higher standard. I'm not saying they should be treated above the law (spiritual, legal or moral) but they should represent it. Why should I listen to my priest if he/she doesn't practice what he/she preaches?
Our priests wife is going through part of this now. She's thinking about attending a different church for services. She and (Father) Shawn have a rule to not go to bed angry. Good rule that I think most of us share. Her point is how is she supposed to listen to his sermon if he doesn't follow it?? Father Shawn is a great pastor (yes, I've called him a pastor, a priest and a preacher lol) and a great guy who fights with depression. I'm sure this is difficult on his marriage because I am in a similiar situation with my partner.
Are these leaders above the law? No. Do they need to set a good example? Absolutely yes.
I'm not sure I really spoke to your blog, but that's what I've got right now.
I will try to stay on topic. Pastors, preachers, priests, whatever you want to call them are human. They have the same thoughts and urges as do any other person. I believe if they have been truly called by God to lead and preach His word they will practice what they preach. Once a man or woman called by God, I believe Satan works double time against this person. Satan will do his best to tempt that person, put doubt in their mind and make their life as difficult as possible. With God's help and trust in Him, that preacher or teacher CAN stay on the correct path and be an example in their faith. That doesn't make them sin free. Teaching and preaching the word of God is no small undertaking. There are wolves in sheep's' clothing. I grew up going to a wonderful Baptist church. The pastor was highly respected and had a large following (for a country church). He seemingly lived what he preached. Many years later he was discovered as having an affair. Once this was out a few of the deacons approached him and said that he should leave this church. He went quietly and no one else found out of hi doings. None of the deacons wanted an open scandal and certainly didn't want to hurt the pastor's unknowing wife. A big issue was not made about this because that meant alot of innocent people would have been very hurt.
My mom and dad now go to a different church. The pastor very much leads by example. That's not to say he is immune to sin. He does not preach that if you wear pants or watch tv you are going to hell. He preaches on salvation. The devil has been trying to do his best to break the pastor as his family is bombarded by terrible roadblocks. His own daughter is bed fast with an untreatable brain tumor and all of them have major health issues. The devil uses things like that to trip up men of God and make them falter. With God they stay on the straight and narrow.
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