A pox on both your houses

I had a lesion removed from my leg today.

It was quite unseemly and my wife had been begging me to get it checked out for a long time.

You see the warts and want to remove them.

I often say that this is why I went into church planting. I wanted to avoid all the mistakes that others made. Oh the foolishness of youth.

Well, I came across an article today from a church and pastor that really get it.

He seeks to excise one of the big warts marring the face of the evangelical church today.

What ever happened to the priesthood of the believer? Why is ministry always relegated to the professionals?

Ministry is seen as happening only on Sunday mornings where a bunch of people come into a place and watch the professional minister/s perform.

Often this critique is used to reflect poorly on the membership. Why don’t they get out of their pew and do something?!?!?!

But the criticism should fall squarely upon the shoulders of the people on the platform.

Many “professional ministers” cultivate (maybe unwittingly) the attitude of Rush Limbaugh, “I was born to host, and you were born to listen.”

While the ministry of the preacher/teacher is extremely important to the health of any local church, it is not by any means the only one.

In fact it’s purpose is to equip the body for all of the other ministry that happens during the other 167 1/2 hours each week.

This wart has become so obvious to me, living and working in Italy where the culture is predominately Roman Catholic.

Italians have very little use for religion. But in the moments that they do, they want the priest to come and do everything for them. The quicker the better.

He blesses your house. He baptizes your baby. He serves you the Eucharist. He forgives your sins.

It is a service performed by the professional clergy. And evangelicals are just as prone to the same thing.

Check out the article by Gary Vanderet of the Peninsula Bible church in Cupertino, CA here.