this week has been one of controversy in my small town. those of you who read this locally will know in great detail what i'm talking about, for others of you i'll try to be as clear as i feel i can...
let me start with a bit of background.....
early september i attended the leadership retreat from our church. i serve as the leader of children's ministry. at this retreat we watched a video called transformations. the video is a series of communities that have experienced transformation from spiritual strongholds to spirit-filled communities. at this retreat the leadership was greatly moved to start praying through our community strongholds and finding a way for the christians in our town to come together. one of the strongholds was the racism we have. our community is a fast growing hispanic one - that we fail to embrace in any way. the week we returned we were asked to participate in community wide prayer by a latino pastor!! God was definitely moving...so long story short..our church has been in great discussion about the strongholds in our community and meeting to pray that these would fall!!
well, we are starting to see it happen. although differently than how we most likely expected, but exactly how it should start. with christians being exposed in sin. i don't mean this badly, but evangelicals around the world are starting to believe the lies that the strongholds aren't holding in churches, but churches everywhere are filled with pornography, adultery, racism, pride, arrogance, etc... we all have sin, it is a matter of it coming to light and being dealt with.
one young teacher at our school was sadly exposed this week for just that. he was forced to resign his position as teacher and bball coach. i went to school with this man, his father coaced before him, and he is very much a christian. he just fell, very much like many other christians we know. and while i agree that he must pay those consequences one thing in all of this really bothers me: why is it he must pay so strongly for poor internet choices when some teachers, administrators, and other coaches have had adulterous affairs with each other, tell crass jokes, or other unethical things? should we turn the other cheek when it happens outside the classroom. i mean what kind of role model is that??
growing up in this town, attending the public school here i have some firsthand knowledge of affairs, yet they were excused and even accepted and have kept their jobs. i understand there are most likely strict guidelines concerning internet use at the school, but why can we not demand those in like positions to live ethically? or have we gotten so lost, even as christians (i say this in the general term) on what is permissable and what is not?
my heart breaks for this young man, his wife, his 2 little girls and the extended family. he admitted he has a problem and is seeking help. i pray for him. one thing we need to all remember before we pass judgement too quickly: it could very well happen in our own happy christian homes!!!
so as the strongholds become exposed i pray for God to move in remarkable ways. i pray this would be the beginning of a purging of our churches and a revival in our community. i pray that while we prayed this we would rise up and take the challenge God is placing before us - how will we respond????
let me start with a bit of background.....
early september i attended the leadership retreat from our church. i serve as the leader of children's ministry. at this retreat we watched a video called transformations. the video is a series of communities that have experienced transformation from spiritual strongholds to spirit-filled communities. at this retreat the leadership was greatly moved to start praying through our community strongholds and finding a way for the christians in our town to come together. one of the strongholds was the racism we have. our community is a fast growing hispanic one - that we fail to embrace in any way. the week we returned we were asked to participate in community wide prayer by a latino pastor!! God was definitely moving...so long story short..our church has been in great discussion about the strongholds in our community and meeting to pray that these would fall!!
well, we are starting to see it happen. although differently than how we most likely expected, but exactly how it should start. with christians being exposed in sin. i don't mean this badly, but evangelicals around the world are starting to believe the lies that the strongholds aren't holding in churches, but churches everywhere are filled with pornography, adultery, racism, pride, arrogance, etc... we all have sin, it is a matter of it coming to light and being dealt with.
one young teacher at our school was sadly exposed this week for just that. he was forced to resign his position as teacher and bball coach. i went to school with this man, his father coaced before him, and he is very much a christian. he just fell, very much like many other christians we know. and while i agree that he must pay those consequences one thing in all of this really bothers me: why is it he must pay so strongly for poor internet choices when some teachers, administrators, and other coaches have had adulterous affairs with each other, tell crass jokes, or other unethical things? should we turn the other cheek when it happens outside the classroom. i mean what kind of role model is that??
growing up in this town, attending the public school here i have some firsthand knowledge of affairs, yet they were excused and even accepted and have kept their jobs. i understand there are most likely strict guidelines concerning internet use at the school, but why can we not demand those in like positions to live ethically? or have we gotten so lost, even as christians (i say this in the general term) on what is permissable and what is not?
my heart breaks for this young man, his wife, his 2 little girls and the extended family. he admitted he has a problem and is seeking help. i pray for him. one thing we need to all remember before we pass judgement too quickly: it could very well happen in our own happy christian homes!!!
so as the strongholds become exposed i pray for God to move in remarkable ways. i pray this would be the beginning of a purging of our churches and a revival in our community. i pray that while we prayed this we would rise up and take the challenge God is placing before us - how will we respond????
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