So there are a couple of phrases we’ve got on our church staff that are really helpful.
The first one goes something like this “help me understand”.
Ever had that awkward moment when someone does something not very good or rather weird strange and you need to talk to them about it – the above phrase is excellent in confronting without confrontation. It’s a modern take on Jesus’ compulsion to speak the truth in love.
The second phrase we have around our staff is the Bill Hybel’s classic “always say the last 10%”.
Ever been in a situation where you are talking to someone – but you hold back from saying everything that needs to be said. You might have said 90% of what needs to be said – but that last 10% is so crucial. It’s also the most difficult to say – in the right way for the right reasons.
So why am I telling you this?
What’s this blog about??
If you’ve been reading my two blogs you’d see a confession by one blogger about blogging anonymously. So here’s a Scottish pastor’s musings – giving the last 10% and hopefully helping you understand.
Confession is leaving the church and the Christian’s vocabulary.
This is bad.
Interesting BBC article today on confession. The article is entitled “Two sexes ‘sin in different ways’”. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7897034.stm?lss
The report came amid Vatican concerns about the declining rate of confessions. A recent survey of Catholics found nearly a third no longer considered confession necessary, while one in 10 considered the process an obstacle to their dialogue with God.
It’s the classic outworking of Christian individualism and I’ll-make-my-remarks- anonymously-because-I-do-not-live-to-or-for-anyone-else.
Harsh but true words; the last 10% kind of words.
Protestantism has never embraced confession – sad when the Apostle’s all did.
Catholicism embraced it but then used it to allow a few take individualism to a dictatorial level.
But it needs to return for the church to be saved.
If we confessed out sins would we need to act anonymously ever??
If we confessed our sins would we need anyone to tell us the last 10%?
If we confessed our sins would we need anyone to ask us ‘help me understand?’
With confession comes humility.
With confession comes transparency.
With confession comes grace.
With confession comes hope.
With confession comes salvation.
Just some musings …..but musings I began to practice many years ago and since then I've never needed to be anonymous.
Live in the light.
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3 comments:
I left the church many years ago, but I didnt leave Jesus. Now that I have come back to work out my faith in the context of the church I still struggle with some of the anonymous things the church does.
Our church wont announce its budget in open form, it wont give the pay of the pastors or staff, it wont say who is preaching if its not the senior pastor and it wont say who is teaching a class. If you go in person and ask, they want to know why you want to know. This is the same old power play that has gone on for years, you tell me everything and I will tell you what you need to know.
I know the classic answer but that doesnt hold water if we are talking about saying the last 10%. You say that it doesnt matter who is preaching,your right. you say that it doesnt matter who is teaching a class, your right, but why is it kept a secret or so it seems, live in the light. What will someone do with the truth?
This doesnt help anyone, just say what it is and dont be anonymous about it, thats what the world does to us, and you wonder why people stay anonymous or quit church.
I was so blown away by the movement of the Holy Spirit in my relationships this last week. I had made the decision to speak the last 10%. Shortly after this decision, I realized I'd been harboring resentment towards a certain leader in the church. I hadn't spoken about it with anyone but had stuffed it, thinking it would go away. However, it only festered and grew over time. After this 10% decision, I resolved to go to lunch with this leader and share my heart. I was extremely nervous about this and expected a response such as, "get over it" from this person. However, a profoundly freeing opposite occurred. Love, in the Spirit, broke free during our conversation. In some ways, I'd realized I'd made a mountain out of an ant hill. In other ways, an inroad by the evil one was revealed and frustrations of others in the group were revealed. We were able to dialogue through this issue and bring to light the tension that existed in our group because of unresolved frustrations and resentments. As a result, our group has discussed this openly and forgiveness, breakthrough, and a new level of intimacy have resulted. The enemies stronghold became our Father's trampoline for helping us all to see further and relate deeper than was previously possible. I wonder if this is how church splits begin. I know I have a ways to go in terms of speaking the truth in love. However, I also know that God is faithful to complete this work he has begun in my heart. It’s so humbling yet it is empowering beyond measure. I am amazed at the movement of the Holy Spirit in moments like these when pride is crushed for the sake of intimacy.
I just read an awesome blog post similar to the discussion going on here at my former pastor's blog site. I thought it was worth mentioning. I also posted the my previous comment over there and I think it addresses many of the concerns mentioned by "anonymous" above. The blog post is located at http://www.garymo.com/2009/02/my-church-hurt-me/
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