Christian Message Boards: Christian Bashing Pt.#2

This is topic Christian Bashing Pt.#2 in forum Favorite Devotions at Christian Message Boards.

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Posted by Don2on (Member # 2255) on :

Let me start off with this quote from the Bible, when Jesus was talking to his servants. "FOR AS MUCH AS YOU HAVE DONE IT UNTO THE LEAST OF THESE. YOU HAVE DONE IT UNTO ME."

I attended church regularly and tithed as I could with what I had. Then a few short months ago my wife was diagnosed with cancer. I imediately notified the Churches Pastor, Knowing that a few short years ago he lost his wife with that dreaded disease. In the conversation I asked if we could sit down and talk. His reply was" We'll put her on our prayer list and God is in control." It was 2 months that we were not attending due to my wife health, not a visit or a phone call. It was not until I notified the President of the PAOC of Canada that we got a call and a visit from his wife.

Posted by Gospel_Syntax (Member # 2252) on :

Unfortunately this happens alot, though it should not.

In some churches, a person's worth to that congregation is determined by that individual's net worth or spending potential to the church. Organized religion is big business and someone that is a regular attender and tither may find more support from the pastor and congregation. Now, I'm not saying your pastor is this way, I'm just saying that this has been my observation. Other churches are too big for one pastor to handle. The addition of other pastors to help with the overflow is up to the church board who may not want to spend more money on more pastors and the only one in the church is too overworked to visit regularly. I do not know what the situation is in your church.

Pastors should keep the feelings and well-being of their congregations in mind and it is a pastor's job to visit members when they are ill or otherwise unable to attend church--unless the member wants no visitation. I visit when asked, whether it is to someone's home or hospital. My wife, too, is gravely ill and I have a great deal of sympathy for those who are also ill. Pastors are humans too--I'm not making excuses here though this may sound like one--sometimes they encounter illnesses that they cannot mentally handle whether it is AIDS or cancer. I know pastors that will not knowingly sit in the same room with someone with HIV. They are that paranoid about the disease.

In all honesty, some pastors are not cut out to visit sick people, the pastor lacks the faith it takes to confront death and dying. They have answered the call to ministry when the person should have become a teacher or something other than pastor. They want to work for the Lord but have mistakenly assumed they should be a pastor and noone helped them fulfill their mission but left it all up to the pastor to discover. When pastors deal with others who have cancer, that pastor must also have the stamina to confront the issues of progressive chronic illnesses, and death. Some pastors are ill-equipped to counsel those who are dying or seriously ill! They just do not have the people skills to adequately do their jobs and they do not have the faith to entrust their ownselves to Christ! They believe what they preach, they believe the Bible, but they have no faith!

My mother passed away a few years ago from Hepatitis C from a blood transfusion. While she lived, some ministers prayed with her and spoke at great lengths with her and others only shook her hand and hurried off. Please do not become bitter with the pastor over not visiting, the Lord is with you whether the pastor is or not. Keep a good heart for your wife who needs your strength in the Lord now more than your anger. Anger progresses cancer, happiness can extend her life. With cancer, it is all about attitude, yours and hers, mine and my wife's. Surround her with those people she is comfortable with and have a pleasant demeanor. Keep all other visits very brief, especially those that get her upset. Make them leave. Her life will be extended by how well YOU treat her, not your pastor's support. I know for a fact it has to do with support, mental attitude, and lots of prayer.

When my mom was diagnosed as terminal with six months to live, our family did the very things I am writing to you about. She lived for THIRTEEN YEARS beyond what doctors said a person with end-stage liver disease could live. It all had to do with her relationship with the Lord, mom's strength and determination to live, my entire family's support, all the love we could give her, keeping her away from as much upsetting problems as possible, and prayer without ceasing.

We will pray for your wife and family. Feel free to contact me anytime if I may be of support at servants_of_christ@earthlink.net. I am an ordained minister.

May God bless your works abundantly!

Posted by TwinsGranny (Member # 2137) on :

Amen, Gospel_Sytax....You said it so well, I agree with you 100%.....pastors ARE human, and men can fail us, but God is ALWAYS faithful and we can always go to Him for everything.

I agree with the way you all handled your Mom's illness too, it is SOOOO true what you say.....may the peace and love of Our Lord be with you both!

Posted by TEXASGRANDMA (Member # 847) on :

We had something similar happen to us. I was raised Assembly of God but when my husband got saved, he wanted to go to the Baptist Church. I was so happy of course I agreed. We attended the local Baptist Church for ten years. Since we moved to Washington, I asked my husband if we could first try out an Assembly of God Church. He said yes. The first one we checked out was very close to the apartment and would have been convient. We stopped by on a weekday and asked about services. The person at the Church said that at this time that had no Pastor and no night services and did not even act like he cared if we came or not. So we attended another Assembly of God three weeks in a row on Wednesday night. No one asked for our address. The teacher was not prepeared so you left the class actually getting nothing out of the class. He spent most of the class rambling about experences in his life, though, intresting had nothing to do with the study on the Gifts of the SPirit. I really wanted to learn about that but he never got pass the first sentence on his study page. My husband got fed up so we visited a local Baptist Church. They did ask us to fill out a vistor's card and someone actually came and visited us. We were so impressed we went back yestersay. But, I am embarrased that the denomation that I grew up in is not concerend about reaching out to new people. I would prefer to be in a Spirit filled Church but I am not going to force my husband to go where he does not feel wanted. It just made me so sad.