Well It has been about a week, since the news about New Life Church and Rev Ted Haggard started to break. First a little personal history, I spent 3 years in Colorado Springs serving as a Part time youth pastor and worked full time for Motorola. One of my customers was New Life Church.
Every time I want to the church, I always wonder what it would be like to work for a Huge Mega Church. I looked at the size of the church youth program and always wonder, what it would be like to be on staff at New Life am I good enough?
I have meet Ted a couple of times in passing and he always appeared to be a nice guy ( doesn’t all Mega church leaders appear nice?).
I have been thinking of the pain that Ted is experiencing. I really hurt for his teenagers in his family and wonder how they are going to survive the worse time in their lives away from the support of a church. I feel deeply for the congregation and give thanks I am not on staff at New Life. The staff world is shaking apart and will for several years.
I always thought New Life was quick to judge and soft on Grace. My faith does fit closer to the United Methodist Church idea of Grace and understanding.
In this whole process I am more amazed at James Dodson. On Thursday he came out when the events were changing almost hourly to support his friend, Ted. He made sure the world heard , that he was going to stand by his friend, even to the point of speaking unkind words about the other person in this issue.
On Friday he expressed shocked and sorrow, but promised to stand by his friend, Ted. Sunday it was reported at New Life and in the national media that he would provide spiritual support and healing for his friend, Ted.
On Tuesday James Dobson, chose to no longer provide the spiritual support for Ted, It seems that he want to help Ted, but he has way to many other things in his life. His exact quote is “ to many other thing pulling him in other directions”.
Well to my friends who read this Blog, I promise to be a better friend then James Dobson. If you life falls completely apart, if you have been dealing and hiding with issues in your life that is cheating of your relationship with Christ. I will stand by you and be with you , support you, care for you and provide spiritual support. If I call you a friend and you hear the words that goes if you need anything in the world you know who to call. The world will not know, but you and my God will know that I am standing by you.
James Dobson does a lot of things well in the world, but I am glad he does not call me a friend.
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2 comments:
Wow - that is a great point and a great way of saying it. You hit the nail on the head BIG TIME.
Hopefully Mr. Dobson has some friends that he will listen to that will take him aside and help him realize his error.
John,
It was really good to read this post. And you're absolutely right. The first thing I thought of when I heard about this was, "Oh no...how will the Church (capital C) react?"
Will they respond as many "Christians" did when they heard I was getting divorced?
Will they respond as many "Christians" did when they heard about President Clinton?
Will they respond as many "Christians" did when Jesus was taken away to the High Council?
And how did they respond?
Oh yes, I remember now..."Crucify Him!"
We are, each of us, even these "Christians" the reason Christ came in the first place.
Thank you for your oath regarding friendship, brother. That's huge. I am privileged to know you and call you friend.
Be WILD For Christ, John.
Shane
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