A Low Blow

Only a week after Pentecost this hits the Inboxes. For Immediate Release, another sexual misconduct by a significant church leader deceased some thirty years ago! Oh yay, another one of these! Our faith community still in quiet thoughtful recovery from the last unnerving misconduct carefully and professionally and legally reported. This time the Press Release goes on for nine paragraphs, probably even more carefully constructed based on legal counsel and responses from the previous. It bristles with legalese (likely proofread by lawyers to ensure present day church executives are not implicating themselves in reporting this allegation of long ago). It is a carefully written document heavy on legalese and devoid of biblical reference.

This still in the season of Pentecost. Dammit where is our sense of the sacred? Yes, trucker language occasionally shows up even in my sermons! If you find this offensive please read my blog post “Sacred and the Profane” (Dec 7, 2020). Back to the topic at hand, did we possibly gain some perspective (sic) from our Pentecost services last Sunday? My previous post was a rather glowing appreciation of a sermon presented by a young lady to her congregation. This Press Release intrudes on that spirit-filled presentation – and by the way she was a lawyer.😉

Is this now the unveiling of the real (?) life going on? Real? Do I now need to feel badly about these allegations against someone who has been "resting in peace" for many years? Perhaps I should, and perhaps I will, but I am not convinced this is the best use of our creative (spiritual?) energy right now at this time. I’m wringing my hands along with Pilate that Roman ruler trying to make sense of the religious idiocy going on before him on the Friday of the crucifixion of Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38).

On the day of Pentecost the gathered faithful were suddenly surprised – blown away even – by window rattling tongues as of fire descending upon them and helping them to fully understand each other even from vantage of varying mother tongues. On that occasion ordinary religion received a new shot; proposals and traditions and business as usual probably out the window as they encountered the ruach - the breath of God. I’m wondering if that surprising inspiration was considered a possibility in any of our virtual corona-type gatherings. Did any of our pastors preach culture shattering Holy Spirit empowered sermons last Sunday? Did any windows rattle anywhere? My hunch is not. Of course that could not have been planned in. Pentecost is a surprise! I would, however, love to read or hear some testimony of same in one of today's churches. It would be so much more life-giving than this carefully worded press release.

We are busy playing church while looking over our shoulders to make sure we don’t do anything illegal.  I have no idea about the professional misconduct back there years ago, but I do have a number of books on my bookshelf, not yet in the recycle bin and containing very insightful and authoritative analyses of ongoing history of my particular Christian denomination, written by that man. I hope nobody will tell me that they are rubbish. I hope we are not on another smear campaign to assure fellow citizens of our noble professionalism.

I suppose somebody will chide me for not having spiritual sensitivity for the certain person who was violated (willingly or unwillingly we do not know). Was her life ruined? Or was it an affair with some lingering or unresolved guilt? Whatever it was, I am certain the children and the grandchildren of the accused are now deeply distressed. Perhaps I might add to Pilate's lament, "What is important?"

My indignation rests with the professionalism image apparently required of current leaders in the church. Looking around at some other faith communities I find myself wondering how issues like this are dealt with there. Muslims, Latter day Saints, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Old Colony Mennonites and probably others do not pay their clergy. Imams and Bishops do their work for free. Leadership is so much more than a job. I remember a certain deacon speaking up in the first church I was called to in rural Saskatchewan, quoting nicely in favor of a wage for their young pastor (me), 1 Timothy 5:17-18, The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” Nice little lesson about both modesty and/or entitlement! My wage was very very modest, 😅 but I still have good memories of the sentiment in that onerous Bible reading. It was the place of my calling to lifelong ministry. 

The current version of North American Christianity has fallen into the trap of the good life, including high salaries on par with secular business models. I do not hear much reference to that scripture these days, mostly declarations of ‘the going rate’ meaning that churches and leaders are now in employer-employee relationship. Within this evolution, when the church falls on hard times we appreciate the government bailing us out and so we are enabled to pay the salaries of the ones making sure at least we are compliant. And of course when scandalous behavior shows up that becomes the focus. We are obedient citizens. Are we also faith-filled citizens?

How about that Holy Spirit sermon? Hope it is not being forgotten while we look after our butts and our pocketbooks.