tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627517209657132818.post3638818260667681973..comments2023-10-16T08:12:13.145-05:00Comments on Four and Twenty+ Blackbirds: The Boxcar children and the ChurchRev. Rick Stuckwischhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10664716292792101540noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627517209657132818.post-66118472661675789372009-10-09T14:40:00.578-05:002009-10-09T14:40:00.578-05:00A symptom of this attitude is the chronic tendency...A symptom of this attitude is the chronic tendency many congregations and their members (and Pastors too) have to collect JUNK. On my vicarage I was tasked with cleaning out a closet (ah the things for vicarage!). The box neatly marked "burnt out light bulbs" was indeed full of well over 100 burnt out light bulbs! I served a vacancy once where they had an annual rummage sale and the leftovers had literally taken over almost the entire church, some items being left unsold and stored there year after year. The worst I've seen is an LCMS congregation where the Pastor wisely scheduled a "cleansing of the temple" weekend ala Josiah:<br /><br />http://immanuelalexandria.blogspot.com/2007/07/need-for-renovation.html<br /><br />http://immanuelalexandria.blogspot.com/2007/07/please-help-cleansing-of-temple-weekend.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627517209657132818.post-16835692194725676902009-10-08T07:23:36.356-05:002009-10-08T07:23:36.356-05:00Tragic but true and I believe you have said it bet...Tragic but true and I believe you have said it better than I would like to hear it.<br /><br />God is supposed to give us what we want and His servants are to be the handmaidens of His gifts and also the collectors of the trash His children leave behind.<br /><br />Everything else takes priority over the life and care of the Church. Talk of trying to be relevant to retain vibrancy is foolish and worldly and not only does not work but, it has and continues to set the Church back and as obsolete and unable to "keep with the times" which it need not do.Pastor Foyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16796709364277420741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-627517209657132818.post-76627813150337009322009-10-08T06:25:37.810-05:002009-10-08T06:25:37.810-05:00Perhaps this attitude is related to how folks thin...Perhaps this attitude is related to how folks think of Church. Is Church and integral part of their lives - a place that is as much home to them as their own house - or has Church become that place they visit for an hour or two a week a best. The Church is a place people head to when convenient, and hence, they also give when it is convenient as well.<br /><br />We live in strange selfish times - where the Church is to meet every felt need of the individual, but the individual feels no compunction to see that the needs of the Church are met.Rev. Eric J Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17747919365522145094noreply@blogger.com