It is more than a worship service institution although it offers some religious worship services, youth, marriages, funerals, pastoral care, recreational hobbies, etc. but members are to accept instruction in their faith leading to an ever stronger form of authentic discipleship. This has nothing to do with any commonality of a Christian life in common with others. It is pure imitation of Jesus, and in this environment it also means that the officer actively teaches and admonish the congregation.
It is about three things.
1st It's about holiness in the church. You have to talk willingly and openly about negative and damaging activities in the corps; dare to confront and label it sin. LO’s and others refusal to identify or acknowledge its existence does not translate as its non-existence.
The leader, especially one with experience and coming into a soiled and damaged fellowship can’t fail but to see and identify its presence. The Bible clearly states that the sins of individual members may in some situations damage the entire congregation.
2nd It's about a life in common discipleship; to follow Christ, and where we teach and perhaps admonish one another. To remind each other that our faith is to move us beyond salvation, is not criticism, it’s instruction. This demands an environment where LO are in humility to listen to the CO. But it also requires recognizing the clear distinction that key in any and all meetings, the Bible and the expositor are key, and all other meeting elements are subservient and are to be complimentary, no matter their intended effectiveness. As such, the prudent and supportive meeting participant will expend all positive effort to support the “message”, not detract from it, even if doing so unwittingly. Please ponder this point… Is your or your sections contribution totally focused on the speaker and the message?
3rd Expulsion… refusing to tackle the issues. When a person refuses to listen, and conform and goes against what the leader expects, doing things that challenge authority and are obviously detrimental to the corps’ mission and perhaps also the corps’ external reputation (of which some are legend) then exclusion is the only solution. First though patience is needed, and an accurate assessment of the situation. However, if the corps’ history and experience has continued on a negative path for many months and affected the consequences of corps membership, it is hard to comprehend that someone could argue against finally taking action. Refusal to do so threatens the corps’ mission effectiveness and consequently, its mandated Christ serving role.
Sven
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ReplyDeleteIs it just Hamilton Corps or are other Corps like this?
ReplyDeleteCan't help feeling many of the LO's and Soldiers were glad to see the back of the Officer.
Have these people looked around the Sunday meetings and asked why the attendance has been dwindling?
Perhaps they need to look at themselves first. Devoid of ideas, they stumble through from one year to the next. Same old thing. It must be because they do not like change.
I think they're getting a sense of what they lost. And Govan's getting a sense of what they gained and what's to come.
ReplyDeleteA long time admirer of you both and what you've achieved for the Kingdom. Bristol
Sven, thank you but your words are wasted... they don't get it.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and wishing you well- Hamilton
We missed the point..True discipleship is a costly endeavour. It requires self-sacrifice and emptying of self; all for the preparing of a free heart to serve God; a relationship with God, and a heartfelt desire to bring about his presence to others.
ReplyDeleteWhat true words are spoken from the very heart of God. Sometimes inertia is the besetting sin in which we look back to the perhaps 'good old days' which we probably just as status quo as the present, forgetting to listen to the timely injection of the Holy Spirit who through the turbulence he brings in the form of Godly leadership, that inspires, focuses holiness, and moreover an agenda that stops the sin of 'inertia' in its tracks. This ministry of one called and seasoned by the salt of God's word, has not failed, but, realistically become the 'calling card' of the Holy Spirit, who has been rejected, by those who just cannot see beyond the evidence.
ReplyDeleteI have been a sideline admirer of your ministry for sometime, and know the gentleness and spiritual effectiveness at its heart, as a season minister my self, (former salvationist - because of similar difficulties) I can only offer the timely advice - Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord. Press on, Press in and stand firm. Every blessing both of you.