Change

Evaluation of the church must be approached from various directions.  We remember that these Pages differentiate between the Church (a spiritual entity), and the church (a human institution).  There is an interrelationship that is developed in Scripture so that the general reference to the church does not always take into consideration the dual meaning of the spiritual/social connection.  That meaning is implied in the separation of church and state, as civil government acknowledges that God has priority in the life of his followers – with the understanding that church members will be valued citizens in earth governments.  Scripture supports that expectation.  It is not always easy for either the church or the public authorities to apply the basic assumption of the bifurcation of civil and spiritual authority.  Currently for the Catholic church (institution) there has occurred the issue of morality breaches among priests that has become a world issue and a vast embarrassment for faithful church members and Catholic ideals.  Although the abusive matter has touched about four percent of the many thousands of priests, the reaction in the public arena seems to spill over in some way to the vast number of those who have kept faithful to their vows and ministries.  The church managed the matter badly at first, but has recovered, taking responsibility and has paid a high price in both sorrow to the public verified in new policies and cash reparations to abused persons.  More than 25 years ago in searching the subject of morality breaks in my denomination the president at the time informed me that his investigation showed a two percent failure in our clergy.  We doubted that it would ever be lower in percentages in the world of attractive physical temptations and spiritual immaturity.  Given the human condition there will always be some serious breaks in the thought and conduct of persons.  But, we will not likely find models of greater success than that found in the church.  With God in the mix, a high standard is expected.  Scripture implies that righteousness.

The evaluation holding greatest authority is in biblical analysis for the church.  How closely does this or that congregation follow biblical orientation in factors of doctrine, ministry, leadership, discipline, love and peace contrasted to the spiritual lostness (evasion) of secular populations?  God presumes the church will manage the assignment in persuasion (communication) wrested from Scripture, and from modeling (living) the life of a Christian as outlined there.   The church exists to carry through the will of God for the Church in the public arena.  This is not to claim that God is dependent only on the church to accomplish his purposes, but the church bears the responsibility for the education of the followers of Christ, and to persuade world populations to accept, believe and apply the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This evangelism has been carried on with various degrees of vigor since the order was given to the disciples immediately before the Ascension of Christ.  (Matthew 28:19-20)   The second standard is found in the recognition of Christ-likeness in persons identified as Christian.  Not all persons identifying with the local church are Christian, even if the elders of the congregation have carefully reviewed membership candidates.  Only God knows genuineness of persons in any identity presumed or bestowed.  All contexts suffer hypocrites as Judas’ real person was not identified to the disciples until the end of the earthly ministry of Jesus.

We are faced with the basic problem of an unchanging God, and constantly changing mankind.  We can’t be sure what response society will take toward faith – favorable or unfavorable with gradations along the continuum moving in this direction or that, and shifting back again.  In reviews of reading habits of devoted book-readers, there are reports of persons having read a title in one year and re-reading the same title ten or twenty years later.  The point of view on the second reading is often amended from what was gained on the first reading.  If read again twenty years later, that reader would have still other responses to the material.  This tendency of change follows us all our lives, and in nearly everything that has meaning for us.  The law of the land tends to differentiate between young offenders and older ones.  There is a tendency to find a way of forgiveness for the young and sternness for those who are older – elders should know better.  Unchanging truth accepted by us is vital for Christian life formation.