tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934298301663499561.post2669231498224719627..comments2023-05-07T09:56:23.909-04:00Comments on The Christian Curmudgeon: Persecuting and Hurting the FaithfulAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146011447109951026noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8934298301663499561.post-3525527620666988472012-10-18T12:33:32.674-04:002012-10-18T12:33:32.674-04:00Bill, when you and I were campus ministers togethe...Bill, when you and I were campus ministers together I generally understood the old saying that "Christians are the only people who shoot their wounded". After over 30 years of serving the local church I have come to see that it is much worse than that. Christians (often especially confessional Presbyterians) think that it is not enough to shoot the wounded, individuals, pastors, sessions and sometimes even presbyteries will shoot those who are not wound but these various individual groups or individuals think should be wounded.<br /><br />This is more of a serious problem than most PCA folks are willing to admit. The idea is that you just tell them "this is what the pastor says" or "this is what the session says" you just need to get in line. But the problems is that these folks have really been damaged (spiritually, emotionally, Biblically) by all of this harshness. More than we know are just dropping out. Some do not come back. Some simply come to worship hoping that the faithful use of the ministry of the word and sacrament will be enough to equip them spiritually to (as Steve Brown says) "get them home before dark".<br /><br />Over the last 10 years of my ministry I have met more people damaged by various churches, pastors, individuals all "ministering in the name of Jesus" (wide variety of churches here in Middle Tennessee) at at times all I could do with these people is cry with them.Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03168908020133726929noreply@blogger.com