AN EXERCISE IN PERFECTION AND IMPERFECTION
How does a congregation relate their faith to their relationship with their pastor? If both pastor and congregation are on a shared spiritual journey and they accept that they are saved by grace and not by works, how do they grow in the context of their own imperfections? Recalling the biblical image of how God continuously worked through an imperfect people and imperfect leaders, what do we learn about how to respond as a congregation.
A SIMPLE EXERCISE
At an informal gathering of the congregation, invite each member to take a piece of paper and draw a line down the center. One the left side, make ten statements that would describe the ministry of a perfect pastor. Go ahead and exaggerate. It’s OK.
On the right side, make ten statements that describe activities of a perfect congregation where every member behaved perfectly.
Allow people to share their lists with each other. Then compose a mutual list on newsprint of at least 10 ways that each would behave if they were perfect.
On the reverse side of the paper, invite people to share five statements describing how God can work through imperfect pastors and congregations to demonstrate the effectiveness of God’s grace in the congregation.
Again invite people to share statements from their list until they have identified at least ten ways that God can work through such imperfect people.
Conclude with praying an adaption of psalm 23 in which everyone inserts the congregations name in the blank spaces:
Psalm 23 (adapted)
23:1 The LORD is ____ shepherd, ___ shall not want.
2 He makes ____ lie down in green pastures; he leads ____ beside still waters;
3 he restores ____ soul. He leads ____ in right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though ____ walk(s) through the darkest valley, ____ fear(s) no evil; for you are with ____; your rod and your staff– they comfort ____.
5 You prepare a table before ____ in the presence of ____ enemies; you anoint ____ head with oil; ____ cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow ____ all the days of ____ life, and ____ shall dwell in the house of the LORD ____ whole life long.
I GUESS THE GRACE OF GOD CAN WORK THROUGH AN IMPERFECT CONGREGATION WITH AN IMPERFECT PASTOR. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT.
Kelly MontgomeryI finished your book yesedrtay. You have quite a gift! The story was fascinating. Not many books put me on the edge of my seat, but I was excited to move forward after their preparation for the mission. Read well past my bed time that night.Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Brad Thor, Nelson DeMille, Preston & Child, Patricia Cornwell etc., are some of my favorite authors and can always keep me reading after my bed time. Kudos to you for doing the same. I’m as harsh a critic as they come, so I don’t say any of this lightly.I’ve read many books over the past 36 years and yours will remain near the top of my list as a great read. Well done and keep pounding the keys!