Published 9/14/19
By Greg Johnson
What If...
Our church has just finished its Sunday evening service. Along with singing and a message, it included a short business meeting. Though I was bored out of my skull, we sat through it. I noticed, Dad, that you and Mom were looking at each other and whispering in each other’s ears. The meeting lasted only about fifteen minutes, but it seemed like an eternity to kids.
Now that it’s over we head down the aisle toward the door. On the way out I hear you say something to one of your church friends.
“I don’t care how the elders voted,” you say. “This is something that can get a lot of people ticked off. The elder board had no right making that type of decision without asking the whole congregation first.”
The other guy just nods. I give Mom a look and run off to the car.
On the drive home, you are still fuming.
“I’m going to call the pastor tonight. What they’re talking about is ridiculous.”
“Dear,” Mom says, “don’t you think you should think and pray about this first? After all, they’re the ones who had all of the information.”
“Well, then I want to see it!” you bark back. “I get so tired of the same people making the same stupid decisions without consulting folks like us who have been in the church for years. We ought to have more of a say. And what’s the pastor doing in all of this? He must know there are going to be a lot of us who will be mad about it.”
“Perhaps we should talk about this later, dear,” Mom says while looking back at us kids in the back seat.
“Oh... yeah. Sorry.”
Questions to Think On
• Do you think it’s right to criticize other adults in front of kids?
• When do polite discussions turn the corner and become accusations?
• How would Jesus handle disputes between Christians?
• Do you know that I’m watching you like a hawk and learning how to respond to situations by how I see you respond?
What Does God Have to Say?
He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity. Proverbs 21:23
We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.
(c)