I thought I would help alleviate the tension on my blog by posting pictures of one of my favorite guys in the whole world. He seems to have the ability to do that around the house. I can't wait to get back to talking about the less controversial subject of tearing down the current structure of the church and replacing it with a more loving one. I can't believe that topic is less controversial, but it appears to be. I don't get nearly as many posts back on them.
Last night, while my blog was continuing to be a meeting place, Isaac and I took in his first pay-for-a-ticket baseball game. We went along with our friends Tom, Lynette, Joel, and Madeline Travis. Tom is our pastor and this would be one of the last times we could hang out with them prior to them moving to Montreal. Lindsay and Eli decided not to go because Eli's bedtime is at 7:30 (a half-hour before the game started), and he had a rough night the night before. We had a great time, and Isaac, excluding times of illness, stayed up later than he ever had before.
The discussion will probably continue on yesterday's post. Please keep these thoughts in mind. Everyone in the discussion is a fellow human and should be treated in a loving way. Even discipline, if necessary, should be done in love. So if you're airing your thoughts disciplining Bob or disciplining those who are airing thoughts on Bob, remember that everyone involved has feelings and should be treated as if they do. I think most everyone has kept in line so far (except for maybe a few instances), so just keep that up if you feel you have to say something. I can't go in and edit words from posts. I can only delete whole things. I don't want to have to do that. I hope and pray (and I hope you join me) that everyone involved will be right with and closer to God as a result of what is going on. I wouldn't wish this situation on anyone, and I hope yesterday spurs all of us who are outside of the situation to pray more fervently.
I talked to both sides yesterday, Bob in person and Angel on the phone. I do think it might be healthy for them to get together in real life and talk. I hope allowing everyone to express themselves here has brought some healing to the whole process. May that healing continue.
Also, if you're anonymous, do not remain that way. Have the decency to say who you are. I've allowed anonymous posting, so that people wouldn't have to register on blogspot in order to say something. Don't hide behind anonymity.
(1 Cor 13:1-7 NASB) "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. {2} And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. {3} And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. {4} Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, {5} does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, {6} does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; {7} bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
Watch out for the potholes.
