Touch Continued

Continuing on with Chapter 5, Holy Disgust by Pastor Rudy Rasmus. BTW, have you read Holy Discontent by Bill Hybels? It's a great little book, a quick read, and a must read for anyone trying to figure out what they're supposed to do in their spiritual walk, primarily in ministry.

Most of us are wary of taking bold stands, because we don't trust our anger to be a form of holy disgust. To be honest, there's every reason to have that hesitation. The vast majority of anger and defiance that we see - in others and in ourselves - isn't holy at all. The goal of these emotions isn't justice and restoration; it's revenge.

Complacency isn't a fruit of the Spirit, and passivity and fear aren't products of a life of faith. Holy disgust crystallizes our thinking and propels us into action.

We are naturally in awe of powerful people, and we assume that they achieved power because they've earned it. Or maybe we've seen what happens when someone questions the motives or actions of these leaders. At one point, Jesus healed a blind man, and the Pharisees questioned him about the event. When he didn't give them the answer they wanted to hear, they kicked him out of the temple. For him, and for some of us, crossing religious authorities can lead to being ostracized. But for many of us, fear drives our decisions. It's much safe to get along by going along, keep the blinders over our eyes, and avoid making waves. And we keep going along to avoid the guilt and blame we'd suffer if we said, "Enough is enough!"

But another factor keeps us locked into toxic religion: when powerful people promise we'll get wealthy and healthy by following their directions.

Malcolm Gladwell observes that our preoccupation with the acquisition of things is our primary faith challenge, because it steals our hearts away from God and isolates us from people in need. We may get a new house or car or pretty dress or electronic gadget, and we enjoy it for a while. But soon we notice that somebody else has a nicer one or a newer one, and the fire of desire burns hot. It's hard to be committed to God's purpose, God's plan, and God's promise when they don't include a fifty-inch plasma television set with the latest audio equipment.

My talk that morning included an update on my recovery from the cussing habit my father passed on to me (384 days and counting!). As soon as my update was finished, a well-dressed family from New Orleans, sitting near the front of the church, got up and left. Was it something I said? I would have thought they'd be impressed that I've stopped cussing!

We've had dozens, maybe hundreds, of well-dressed people come to St. John's, but most of them came only one time. They look around, and they feel uncomfortable with the needy people they see sitting next to them in the pew. At that moment, they have a decision to make. The question may not be formulated in a crystal clear way in their thinking, but it's instinctive: Do I want to stay here and be part of a gut-level, caring community, or do I want to go down the street to a church where people look, smell, and sound more like me?

(Of missions trips) Observers report, though, that the most significant change occurs in the hearts of those who go, not the ones who are the recipients of their efforts.

Just a word of advice for today's blog. If you notice someone doing something wrong (illegal, immoral, unethical, unbiblical, etc.), please confront them. If you don't, you're basically an accomplice, especially as a believer, regarding another believer. What you could lose on earth will be less than you could lose in the spiritual realm. Do the right thing, at all times.

Have a blessed sunny Tuesday.