The Trouble With Patience
 

Warning! You may want to turn your head if this is too painful to look at.

Galatians 5:22 states that one of the end results of the Spirit's work in us will be the addition of longsuffering. Longsuffering is a calmer, gentler synonym of that other word we're apt to run from - patience.

Now patience can be trying, frustrating and at times maddening to receive.
It is through the trying of our faith that patience is birthed. I'm sure you have heard that "tribulation worketh patience"?

But is patience always a virtue? Can patience lead into a general apathy of the soul? Do we confuse apathy and patience in Pentecost?

It would seem to me that some things can't wait. Perhaps this thread will help to identify which areas of life we need to exercise patience in and which areas require immediate change.

Specifically, let's consider the church.

What areas need reform, but not necessarily immediate reform?
What areas need immediate reform?

I will wait impatiently for your response. :dunno

One area that needs reform is the local church. Specificaly the local Church board. Where the same old good old boys sit on the board year after year.

Even though they are voted on. It is more like a supreme court appointment.

Put some new skin in the game.

Maybe just maybe the family business will grow.

Nathan Eckstadt

I was thinking broader, bigger, and in terms of the general movement, but that's okay.

The church board often is static (pardon the pun) due to unwillingess. And when we consider the average church in the UPC has around 75 members, it's obvious the pool of potential candidates is small. In this environment it becomes needful to develop potential replacements.

Another thing to consider is that appointments are normally yearly, and need to be ratified by the voting body of any incorporated assembly.

I have seen the extreme you allude to here. Tell me, is that pastoral patience - or apathy

My opinion would be that it is the spirit of the church being stuck in operational apathy.

Apathy here would be found in the idea that its easier to maintan the satus quo than go through the trouble of equipping and training other qualified candidates. This sort of waiting is crippling.

I do believe that each church needs qualified elders (seniors) to assist in business matters. Experience goes a long way in saving financial heartache.

I know this is not a reform in the church such as, Allowing woman to cut their hair, wear pants kind of good.

I think the pulpit needs to be reformed.

I am tired of ministers stepping into the pulpit, full of stories, ice breakers, words they just wrote down from TD Jakes on TBN Sunday morning.

Man, Get on your knee's and be relevant for the times and be ontime with a fresh annointing.

Otherwise get out of the pulpit before God has to push you out.

People are hungry for good redeeming, soul searching, practical living and application ministry.

Not how much you know on the doctrinal stances and beliefs.

Turn around and let your back face the choir.

Your burden is to preach to the one sinner who may have stepped in off the steet to meet God at the doorstep of Eternity.

I vote for reforming the office of the Man of God!

Finances is onething. Open up the board to one more member. Have this be a junior member to the board. To keep things fresh and not stale.

Nathan Eckstadt

You are right, my intent was not to debate standards.

Thank goodness for that! :heeheehee

One thing I mentioned in my message this morning and which I feel must be done without delay is that pastors must reclaim their pulpits for God. They must hear from God and preach the Word without fear or favor instead of what they think the congregation wants to hear.