Oh Ted
Well, bloggers and pundits all over the place are commenting on the recent resignation of Ted Haggard, the pastor of New Life Church in Colorado Springs and the president of the National Association of Evangelicals. The accusations are astounding and numerous and, it appears, that some of them are true. At times like this I am motivated to pray the words from I Corinthians 13 that say: "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." NLT The NIV says "always hopes"...always hopes that the worst isn't true.But if it is true (and even if it isn't) we pray: Kyrie Eleison, Lord Have Mercy.
posted by The Wheatland Mission @ 7:10 AM
4 Comments:
it's far too easy to call ted haggard a hypocrite. it's much more difficult to come to terms with my own hypocrisy. why do i find it so easy to criticize in others what i hate about myself? and why are we surprised? do we really think that pastors are so much better than the rest of us? i wonder if any people outraged over this have "secret" sins they crusade against. i think this is a great opportunity to examine what "church" structures we've put in place (and continue to maintain) that prohibit transparency and brokeness, perpetuating this cycle of "esteemed minister/elder/chruchgoer" to "moral failure". i wonder if any of us really take to heart that we are all moral failures, day in, day out. we regularly quote Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," but i don't know if we believe it most of the time. maybe we should strive to not be shocked or surprised by events such as this. maybe we should strive to respond in a way that shocks and surprises the news outlets and others looking for validation in their hate towards the church. maybe we can take this as a lesson to get honest with each other now, so that the fear of something like this happening to us has no power over us.
Your right on Matt. Thanks for the wise words. When something like this happens I am reminded that no one can afford to take sin or power lightly.
I saw Bill O'Riley on a new show this am. I think he called Lauer on the subject: "Is [Haggard] a hypocrite or just a sinner?"
Wow, huh?
It is not often that I am really appreciative of Bill O'Riley but I think he really hit this one on the head.
When people comment about the hypocrisy within the church I understand and sympathize. However, I sometimes wonder where can someone experience healing from their hypocrisy? People think that the church is full of hypocrites and I think they are right. However, I suggest that the church is the only place that gives hope to hypocrites. At least some hypocrites are hoping for something more. They want to be someone they are not. I am not suggesting that hypocrisy is a good thing but it at least points to what is good and hopes, perhaps vainly, to get there.
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