Friday, November 11, 2011

Excommunication or Death?

Numbers 16
First apologies - I have no clue how I managed to jump from Numbers to Deuteronomy yesterday!  Someone should let me know when I do this kind of thing as it's not too uncommon for me to get confused like that and I could use a little guidance now and then...  Maybe God figured I needed to hear the message for yesterday.  Maybe it's just the shingles disturbing my focus again.  Don't know - but - today we are back on track - I hope - with Numbers 16.

Antagonism and dissension in the congregation.  When we encounter it, we should know that this is not a new thing.  A few chapters back, Aaron & Mirian were questioning Moses' authority to lead.  Now we've got a whole bunch of men grumbling against Moses and Aaron.  I'm afraid we can't fix the antagonism the way that it was fixed in our reading today.  We can't say "God, if they are guilty, let the earth swallow them up" and immediately there is an earthquake to destroy the dissenters, removing them from the congregation, removing the "bad apples."  We have to find another way.

There have been lots of books written out there on how to deal with dissenters and antagonists in the congregation before they divide the church.  Some have fairly good advise if there is intervention before it gets too far out of hand, others are not so good.  Jesus gave us an outline on how to handle this and he didn't promise an earthquake to swallow up the evil doers. 

Recently, my congregation rewrote their constitution and included a section on what to do in cases of antagonists who might be causing problems and divisions in the congregation.  We used Matthew 18 as the guide.  Hopefully, we will never have to get to a point of having to remove anyone from the congregation - excommunicating anyone.  But, in all honestly, private admonitions are not all that uncommon. They're not every day events, but they are also not non-existant.  Maybe, that is why we have never gotten to a congregational intervention or confrontation. 

However, in all fairness, although he had assigned "judges" to help him settle disputes, the congregation that Moses led was way too large for him to be able to be aware of everything going on and "nip it in the bud" before the hostility blossomed.  Most of us have the opportunity to actually be with and know the people we serve so that we are more aware of problems brewing before they become problems too big to handle. 

It's not easy to have to confront someone when they are stirring up trouble in a congregation. It is a very uncomfortable position to be in.  But, it is necessary for the sake of the congregation, for the sake of mission.  It is necessary to do that confrontation or intervention early on.  Do not wait, hoping it will die out (it usually doesn't), until the congregation is split.  I have only personnally known of one excommunication in the Lutheran Church in my life (not my congregations).  It's not a pretty picture, by any means.  But, neither is what happens to a congregation if something is not done. 

May God help our congregations to keep their hearts and minds on Jesus, so that we will not be distracted by the evils, the false gods, of this world - and - we shall live and serve in peace. 


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