Posted by Pastor Disaster on August 17, 2001 at 11:06:17:
In Reply to: Re: Tabloids at Lost & Found posted by John on August 16, 2001 at 07:53:49:
: I think of that incident at the Crossover punk show... you know the famous "prophet band" incident? They were just as certain that they were right... but I don't think any of us would excuse that as just flawed people being overzealous. Their actions were damaging.
And once I agin I will charge right through the doorway you have opened...
No one would construe the "prophet" band's actions as loving, either. They were pompous and self-important in their "anointing". Such people are easy to spot, and they don't tend to attract anyone except those with bitterness looking to redirect it.
Secondly, they were on stage and in command of an audience (though not a big one) in our church, which gives us some responsibility in the matter. But we shut them down not because they were damaging people; we shut them down because their little "silent prophet" game was throwing us off schedule, and people were generally bored with their silliness and starting to leave the building.
Thirdly, we also recognized that there was a specific agenda here, one that we had some knowledge of, and that their only intention was to perpetuate a division that had started to heal. The only folks that ended up in their camp making "intercessory prayer" for the reprobates (us) were those who were in their camp before the show ever started. By refusing to give place to their spirit of division, spiritual pride, and bitterness, all we did was "cut to the chase" and got the pre-arranged drama over a little sooner than they would have liked.
What I am trying to do here is make an easily defined line between overzealous expressions of LOVE and overzealous attempts to divide the church via bitterness. These cases don't even resemble each other. The people I was speaking of who may have been "offensive" in their outward love at CLF have been sincerely seeking unity in the body--not division nor incrimination. They have sincerely wanted God's presence and blessing in our church and in our lives individually--not to show us as being flawed in our faith somehow. Their intent was good and loving.
The sincerity of a person's heart is NOT the issue, nor is their zealousness, as many sincerely and zealously believe that the end justifies the means. The sole consideration is their intent to LOVE. When someone is hugging and praising God for you and praying over you in the doorway of the church, this is not the same divisive poison as the "prophet band" at Crossover in John's story, however much it may annoy you. Rather, their intent is to love you, albeit in a way that makes you uncomfortable.
Let's also not invalidate their expession of love because we feel it would have turned us away from God if we were strangers. I feel the same way as John does, but this is not so with everyone. This kind of expression of unashamed commitment to love another has actually brought many people into the church (though it was more effective when the church's sincerity was not questioned so much). And even if such action never had a good result, the fact would still remain that we are evaluating the end results over the intent of love. (It was "Tabloid" who devalued love, I remind you.) We must never devalue love because it is poorly expressed or because it does not achieve a desired result. Nor should we ever acknowledge hatred, though it seems spiritual or accomplishes some desired result.
Even Paul was a bit excessive in him weeping and sobbing and pleading for his "children" lest the enemy deceive them. I bet Paul the Apostle would have given us "modern" believers sufficient reason to gag, as much as we seem to avoid emotional excesses and spiritual melodrama. ;-)