Great idea John. I'll start this as a highlight to the many daisy chained comments that readers may be missing. Go and search and you will find the most interested posts. Joan of Ark.
Jon of Arcadia said...
Joan, I'd like to nominate this comment as comment of the week, worthy of its very own post on the front page of the blog.
"I suppose I feel as comfortable going to elders of THIS church for spiritual counseling as much as I feel comfortable as a chicken farmer doing my paps smear or yearly breast exam. I'm not saying that it can't be done it just feels icky and weird and I'm terrified of their credentials."
-F
5 comments:
Im pretty sure you vote for the members of council, therefore if you feel council is doing a poor job, you should have not voted them in. You can only blame yourselves.
From Rational
Thanks for clearing that up Rational. I now have someone to blame for that corrupt Liberal government that we had a few years ago.
Voting in Exeter CRC is much a kin to the old "Bowling for Dollars television show" without the dollars. Just before you throw the ball down the alley a large blanket is drawn over the front of the pins. You protest because you can't see the pins and you can't see where you are throwing the ball. You may ask "where are the pins?" "What are the pins position?" "Are the pins even standing?" "Are they standing on the ground?" "Are they immovable or can they move around if need be?" "Are there really 12 pins or are 10 pins lined up behind 2 larger pins?" "Do all the pins carry the same weight?" "Are there really 12 pins???"
Then you throw the ball. You hear what amounts to some noise but have no idea what that means. At the end of the game there is a summary in the bulletin stating that everyone scored a perfect game.
Now, I'm a little skeptical. I know for a fact that there were dozens of gutter balls but yet we have a perfect game.
I don't think so.
Dear Rational.
You aren't liveing up to your definition of having or exercising reason, sound judgment, or good sense. Perhaps you need to choose a different moniker.
JofA
Hold on there....the whole congregation is encouraged to submit names for consideration for council positions. One is to do so prayerfully and with the understanding of what an elder and what a deacon are called to.
Those who are prayerfully selected are put up for nomination.
A person is not forced to vote for a particular individual AND if you think that scripturally there is some reason for a person NOT to be on council then you are required of GOD to bring that to the attention of council.
If you did not do so AND if you voted them in...well why are you complaining... did you not then follow the call of God? That is, if you did things the way you are supposed to. Praying to God for guidance and then following his lead. Exercising your spiritual discernment.
They are your council members, your fellow church members. You can only blame yourself if you did not take the time to get to know them first. It's a church NOT a political office where you don't get to chance to really know each other. If you failed in that, and did not follow the call of God, well that is a matter of sinfulness and therefore is a matter of repentance.
I'm just a guilty sometimes. It's like oh...who's available, who can I vote in...and I don't always consider God's role in the choosing. BUT I must do so. The council must do so. If we fail to do so then God will let us live with the consequences. I do have to ask though...do you think in the whole church that NO ONE prayed and asked God what to do when it was time of prayerfully consider and then vote for who God wanted in leadership in your church? If so, then the problems lie much deeper than leadership issues. Knowing Exeter CRC as I do, I can't believe that. I know too many faithful praying members.
Rational, I can tell you that I do indeed vote every time we have an election in my church, and very often the ones that I vote for are not elected.
So who is to blame?
The candidates who lost, for not campaigning hard enough?
The candidates who won, for not leading as they should?
The members of the church who voted for the winners?
Myself, for not lobbying harder for the ones I voted for?
The process, for being more of a popularity contest than anything else?
It's simply not as cut and dried as you say it is, and I don't understand where that comment can come from. If you disagree, please, I welcome your response.
Half of all prayerfully considered names at Exeter CRC are thrown in the garbage.
I recognize council to be placed there by God in the same way that Synod, the provincial, federal (and all world leaders) are placed there by God. That doesn't make them right nor does it make their decisions holy. My prayer has been unanswered for years and this council had the opportunity to heal. It rather chose the route of bully than healer. If council was sincere it would work with their congregation and offer some method of reconciliation rather than denial as their inaction is hurting people and causing polarization of the issue.
B
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