Miguel Labrador's Blog, page 16

Church Discipline In A Social Media World?

I’ll get back to my series, “I Don’t Want To Be That Guy Who’s Pegged As Anti-Church, But…” in a day or two.

Be patient with my detour, but there’s been a bit of a buzz in the realm of social media regarding church discipline.  I’ve been dwelling on it much.  For the most part, I’ve experienced church discipline in local church gatherings.  In other words, corrective measures have been applied to “members” of individual churches.  The leadership within specific gatherings will discipline a member for a verity of reasons.  Generally speaking, if one becomes a member of a church, he or she willingly submits to the leadership and their corrective authority.  Of course this branches off into a myriad of other considerations, but I want to focus on a single aspect.  That being the veritable obliteration of the local church in social media.

In a world of high visibility, particularly within social media circles, the lines between local gatherings and local “authority” are blurred.  Authors, bloggers, and even pastors are throwing their works out into the realm of the public and universal church.  We are asked to “like” pages on Facebook, “follow” people on twitter, and even “join” others circles on Google+.  The tribes formed in social media are vastly concentric.  Our memberships become multitudinous.  I’ve seen some say that church discipline should not happen openly in social media formats.  I have to wonder about the truth of that sentiment.

In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul the Apostle writes;

“I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you—something that even pagans don’t do. I am told that a man in your church is living in sin with his stepmother. You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship.”

There are two things happening here besides the egregious sin of this particular form of sexual immorality.  First, Paul is addressing what would appear to be a local fellowship, and secondly exposing this man and the situation to all churches everywhere during that time, and in fact all churches throughout  history everywhere.  Everyone knows about this guy!  This letter was the form of social media for that time, and remains one unto this day.  It was a critical time in the history of the Christian church, for the church’s membership had spread and relatively short documents were produced and distributed amongst all the churches.  

I’d propose that because of the immense connectivity of cross-fellowships, the overabundance of invitations to partake in other’s works, and the intensely public nature of social media, that we need to reconsider how church discipline is done within this context.  If leaders, authors, pastors, missionaries, or even social media gurus invite you to become part of their online fellowship, or seek to become part of yours, then they and you are willingly resigning yourselves to open and public discipline.  ”For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Galatians 6:3

Paul also says,

“Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.”  2 Corinthians 2:5-11

The classic church discipline passages such as Matthew 18:15-20, James 5:19,20, and 1 Timothy 5:19-21 are, by the very nature of the church’s participation in social media, expanded, adjusted, and encompassing a broader audience.  Again, let me posit that if the church or any of its members crosses over into other’s fellowships by invitation or willing participation, then all parties are open to each other’s discipline.  A few questions:

1.  Would you agree that if church fellowships participate in each others online social activities that they submit to each other’s open and public discipline?

2.  Can we really say in this age that church discipline should not happen within social media formats?

3.  What suggestions would you make for the practice of church discipline online?

 
CommentsThanks for bringing this up Miguel and sharing your thoughts. I ... by CarlosI think church discipline is about the body of Christ as a ... by David WoodsHey Miguel, I saw your blog today, a friend sent it to me, ... by David BarrattCertainly no local church has carte blanche. Their jurisdiction ... by Jim Wright“The local ekklesia has proper jurisdiction,” they do, ... by MarshallPlus 2 more...Related StoriesA Church Discipline Technicality or Loophole?I Don’t Want To Be That Guy Who’s Pegged As Anti-Church, But…You Mean To Tell Me That We’re Supposed Let The Unconverted Into Church?

I Don’t Want To Be That Guy Who’s Pegged As Anti-Church, But…

I really don’t want to be that guy who’s pegged as anti-church, but there certain things that cause my prophetic angst to rise to fever pitch.  Anything that impedes The Gospel, detracts from Making Disciples, or moves in a direction that is Contra-Kingdom has got to go.  The speed or manner by which any institution or system is shifted away from the actions or attitudes that cause those things will differ depending on context, culture, and willingness.  Likewise, the time frame in which a local body becomes self-aware on those issues will vary.  
 
This will begin a series of blog posts on the topic.  I’ll have to admit that it’s something I’ve been trying to avoid.  I don’t want to enter systems or institutions to bring change.  It would seem counter-intuitive for me except for the resonation in my heart which is God-Directed toward that end.  For me, it’s easier to buck the system than to enter in and be a catalyst for change from within.  In discussing this with a friend recently, he said, “I simply do not have the patience for that kind of work.”
 
By the time most institutions or systems become self-sustaining (a frightening concept), they’ve activated a defense shield.  Anything or anyone that seeks to penetrate that shield is perceived as a threat.  Like antibodies within a living entity that attack other living organisms perceived as threats, so the local church often responds.  Systems tend towards becoming self-absorbed, self-centered, and self-serving.  They also tend toward becoming self-adhesive.  They stick to each other at the expense of sending each other out into a world that needs them.  A church which maintains an antibiotic approach will eventually need to reestablish a healthy balance by accepting probiotics.
 
Again, I think it might be bordering on arrogance to assume that I can be that probiotic, but likewise, I dare not reject where or what I perceive the Lord is calling me to. Perhaps some of you feel the same.  On the whole, I think it’s easier to leave systems or institutions and complain about them from a distance than to engage them with a Christ centered compassion.  Maybe it’s time for people living in glass houses to start throwing stones.
 
Before going further, I want to make a distinction between entering into a foreign body for the purpose of stirring up trouble, and being invited in as a consultant of sorts.  Randomness should, in my opinion be avoided.  If you’re part of an existing body and the Lord calls you to be an agent of change from within, then so be it.  If you’re not part of a body, but invited in, then fine.  If you’re pointed towards and appointed by the Lord then proceed with caution.  Our passions can be self-manipualtive.  What should be avoided, are the random and unwarranted emotionally charged attacks motivated by the latest pendulum swings of our own sensibilities.  I don’t think the Lord gives any of us cart blanche permission in this arena.
 
On the whole, I think that local bodies would benefit by looking at themselves as individuals.

A local church, or a local gathering of the people who make up the church, should be a corporate representation of what it calls its individual members to be.

Individual members of the body and the corporate body of believers both have tendencies to close in on themselves, isolate and protect themselves, assure their own survival, be independent rather than healthfully co-dependent, and inflexible instead of in flux.

Before a local body, system, or institution can shift away from those things that impede the gospel, thwart disciple making, or move in a direction away from Kingdom, they too must “deny themselves, take up his cross and follow Him.”  (Matthew 16:24)  They must lose their life to save it.  (Mark 8:35)  They must die to bear much fruit.  (John 12:24)  They must do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than themselves.  (Philippians 2:3)  In other words, a local church should be more than the sum of what it desires its individual members to be. 
 
Here comes the hard part and most likely the real reason why I don’t want to be involved in this kind of work.  In order to be a catalyst for change within a system, I must be an example of that change.  I must be willing to turn the cheek, to receive “friendly fire,” to be persecuted by the church itself, to be discounted, ridiculed, and rejected by those whom I love.  I must be saltier and brighter than the existing salt and light.  I must be willing to stick it out until the appointed time.  I know that I’m not cut out for any of that.  It remains, however, a poor excuse for not going where the Father says to go, saying what He says to say, and doing what He says to do.
 
In the rest of this series, I will lay out all of those things within the church which I perceive to be impediments to the gospel, counter productive to disciple making, and contrary to Kingdom movement.  By His Grace, Mercy, and Power, I hope do this in a manner which is humble and honors my Lord and His people.  If I get out of line, I’d urge you, my family in Christ, to be corrective, convicting, and Christlike in calling me back.  But, I’d ask you to take a meditative pause, seek the Lord, and understand that I don’t have all these things figured out.  I’m walking the journey like you. 
 
Please subscribe to my blog to follow this series.  In addition, I’d love your comments, questions, and counsel.  One question for this post:
 
What are some of the things that you perceive are impediments to the gospel, thwart disciple making, and push away from Kingdom directed movements within the church? 

 

 
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A Church Discipline Technicality or Loophole?

In the course of some normal ministry this past week and an abundance of discussion regarding church discipline in my social media circles, I could use some help.  I have lamented over the broad and perhaps exaggerated application of Matthew 18:15-20:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosedf in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”  (English Standard Version)

This passage is familiar enough to most, but, I think, requires a second look and deeper consideration.  The principle is easy enough to understand, and likewise be applied.  However, there’s a three-letter word in this passage that can truly change the way the church seeks to apply it.  That word is in verse 15 – “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault.”  By some accounts, the word “you” appears to have been added to the text much later than its original inscription. 

The New American Standard Bible reads in this manner – “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.”  The absence of the word “you” in this translation might just change the import of the passage significantly.  

 

We have two possible ideas represented here:

1.  This discipline is to be enacted when someone sins against you specifically,

or

2.  This discipline is to be enacted when someone sins in general and in your purview.

In other words, when someone sins visibly or publicly and you happen to be a witness to it, you have a duty to confront it,

or

When someone sins against you specifically in private or public, it remains your responsibility to engage the disciplinary process.

Finally,

There might be a warrant to apply this passage when someone sins against another, but that one is too weak, damaged, or afraid to initiate the process themselves and needs your help.

There are those whom God calls to expose sin with a view to correction for the benefit of all within the church.  These are often those with the prophetic gifting of Ephesians 4:11.  If a person is operating in the prophetic, we must take great care to “not treat prophecies with contempt.”  1 Thessalonians 5:20  Neither should we hold the one who prophesizes in contempt lest we share in the same sins and consequences. 

Some evidence suggests that the word “you” was added in later manuscripts.  Whether or not the addition changes the import and application of the passage remains to be seen.  I’d like your help by asking you a few questions:

1.  Does an individual church member have the right to call out the public sin of another?

2.  Does Matthew 18:15-20 address only those sins committed against us as individuals? 

3.  What other biblical passages should be used in conjunction with Matthew 18:15-20 in the process of Church Discipline? 

 

 
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Making Disciples is More Than Just Teaching Others How to Hear God’s Voice.

If I hear something more than a few times in a short period regarding the Making of Disciples, it sticks with me.  I ruminate on the repeated idea, saying, or assumption, until I can no longer contain it.  Recently, I’ve heard one of those things.  In essence, it’s this; Making Disciples is simply about teaching others to hear God’s voice.

Without going into too much detail, here are my concerns with this idea:

1.  It tends toward existential, subjective, and unsubstantiated claims of special revelation and teaches others to seek the same.

2.  It tends towards not receiving what “has been spoken,” and mastering those things, “all things,” which Christ commanded first.

3.  It ignores the idea that listening for the Father’s, Son’s, or Spirit’s voice is only one of the many commands which Jesus gave.

4.  It suggests that “hearing God’s voice is something that is learned.  Whereas Jesus said “my sheep hear my voice.”

5.  It tends towards the abandoning new disciples in the trash cans of the world, indefensible, cold, and hungry.

Addendum:  I want to make it clear that I am not suggesting we shouldn’t strive to hear from God, or better yet, ignore all the other noise so that we can hear God, I am simply suggesting the Making of Disciples is more than simply teaching others to hear His voice. 

I will add more to these initial thoughts, but I wanted to ask you one question:

Is Disciple Making, in essence, just teaching others to hear God’s voice? 

has spoken

 
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On Not Creating Culture Bubbles When Doing Mission.

I am a missionary.  My wife is a missionary with whom I serve.  We work in one of the most culturally diverse regions on the planet.  I love the varied and often complicated cultural nuances of the region because it’s instructive to me and allows us to learn much of our Lord by seeing His image expressed in so many ways.  I’d like to say that we’ve figured out this thing we call “missions,” but in truth, we haven’t.  We try to remain open to the ever fluid vision of the Spirit’s intentions.  

Conversely, it would be fair to say that we’ve become part of our immediate local culture, and a genuine part of the  many surrounding cultures too. This requires a heightened sense of adaptivity that is often counterintuitive.  It has not been easy for us and continues to be challenging.  It seems simpler now than in the past because we’ve learned that the best way to engage those around us is to be caught up in the natural flow of their lives.  

If we’re honest with ourselves, missions, short or long-term, tends towards creating temporal culture bubbles or momentary shifts from which to further the Gospel and the Kingdom.  Events to maximize ministry exposure are artificially engineered and create a temporary and often frenzied guerrilla warfare approaches to mission.  This demonstrates two things;

A.  The receiving culture equates hype with Christianity and instantly creates an addictive but unnecessary seed of consumerism.  The manner in which you “win” a soul will be the manner in which you have to maintain it.  

B.  It teaches that it takes a specialized group to do mission, A group with special talents, insights, and knowledge. 

While trying to impact cultures with a kingdom world view, we ignorantly impose our human cultures over theirs. 

A Few Questions:

1.  What are some ways in which you can enter in to the normal flow of other’s lives to Make Disciples of them?

2.  Can effective and biblical ministry be done without imposition?

3.  Are there any benefits from blitz style ministry?  What are they? 

 

 
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Whatever Happened To Catechism & Discipleship?

There was a time when catechisms, like the Westminster and Heidelberg, served well the goal of Making Disciples.

Catechism: From the Ancient Greek: κατηχισμός from kata = “down” + echein = “to sound”, literally “to sound down” (into the ears).

Jesus said to “Teach them to observe/obey all that I have commanded you. Matthew 28:19,20

 

Some Questions:

1. Is there a biblical warrant for catechizing?


2. Has post modern thought antiquated and invalidated the catechismal approach?


3. What, if anything, is inherently missing or problematic in a catechismal approach to discipleship.


4. What kinds of processes, if any, can replace the catechismal approach in Disciple Making?

 
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Attitude Without Sin?

Accusations amongst Christians towards each other are prevalent in social media circles.  I suppose that lack of immediate context, the absence of eye to eye accountability, and the tendency to read between lines on status’ and comments makes it easy to overstep wise and humble counsel.  It can be argued that social media is a community regardless of the depth of the relationship.  People gather together according to their “likes,” interests, world views, and even spiritual memes.

Of the numerous accusations that are exchanged on places like Facebook, I’d like to address one particular subset.  That being the subjective.  Words like “arrogant,” “prideful,” and “condescending,” while generally understood by definition are often clay words that are thrown about with the widest range of application.  Christians cry out that others are “not speaking in love.”  (Ephesians 4:15)

The question I always have in my mind when someone accuses me of one of these attitudes is this; “It may appear to you that I’m arrogant, prideful, or condescending, but where’s my sin?  Can you point to it?”  Now, It may sound like i’m being exactly those things and more when I write that question out, but I rarely speak it out loud.  But, if the one accusing genuinely loves the one they are accusing, then they should be able to point out with pin point accuracy where that sin is.  Otherwise it’s just opinion, conjecture, and ultimately, a straw man argument.

By the way, for those of you who tend toward being arrogant, prideful, or condescending, this is not an excuse for you to continue being an ass.  Nor should you say that “because you can not point out where the sin is in my attitude, you must be wrong.”  But, these attitudes or any others found in the dimension of vast subjectivity should be clearly defined and described by believers or at least understood before being hurled at one another.  As in face to face conversations where certain facial expressions, such as rolled eyes, certain sounds like sighs, huffs, and puffs, and certain hand gestures can push your buttons, there are internet gestures that can do the same.  A discerning believer will not equate any of these gestures with the sin they accuse others of, because most all gestures are simply not the sin itself. 

So, to the accused and the accuser, if you claim to be a child of God, then you owe it to yourself and others to bring clarity to this chaotic pattern of behavior.  If you don’t, you may be guilty of slander.  This should not be so among you.  ”So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. …” (1 Peter 2:1-3)  A few questions:

1.  What are some other accusations that are highly subjective in nature?

2.  What is the proper response from a believer who is being accused regardless if it is true or not?

3.  It’s possible to be angry without sin, but what about those attitudes like that of arrogance, pride, and condescension?  

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Romans 8:28 Isn’t Just About Things Working Out For Good, It’s About Mission.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  (Romans 8:28)

Many of us, myself included, cling to this verse in the midst of difficulties and trials.  For, in part, this verse’s intention is to provide hope that the hard things in life will culminate in some fashion for our good.  Platitudes like, “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” barely approach the import of this passage.  Jesus says, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” (Mark 8:35)

Yes, All things – All our afflictions and trials; all of our persecutions and calamities, all of those numerous long and continued obstacles, and all of those apparent senseless and evil things are among the means which God has purposed for our welfare and our good.  But, this promise is targeted. It implies that God has a plan, a purpose, and an intention, for all those who become His disciples.  God does not convert people without design; and his designs are not new, they are eternal. What he does. he always meant to do.  His purpose is mission.  He moves.  He has moved since the beginning. (Genesis 1:2)

He moves towards the completion of His ultimate purpose.  His ultimate purpose, however you define that, is achieved by Him alone.  We can not help God achieve His ultimate purpose. But, He has made us co-laborers in achieving His temporal purposes.  He helps us.  We are His chosen causality.  We become that by heeding the call of sentness and with of our love for Him.  All of those difficulties we encounter along the way in His divinely appointed mission do work out for our good, but only when we live as a people on mission for a missionary God.  When we move.

We live as sent for the Sender and to the people He has sent us to.  We are sent like a weaver’s shuttle, again and again until we are nourished and knit together, made full, and become complete in Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.  (Ephesians 1:23)  We are weaved together until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  (Ephesians 4:13)

The Church, or better still, the people of God who constitute it, can not force things to work out for good.  We can not wait motionless for a sign that the good has come or even settle for a shadow good.  We must remain in motion, on mission, because of our love for Him and His.  It is while we walk together and move together that we are weaved together with God and His people, according to His purpose, that things work out for our good, others’ good, and God’s glory.  

 

 
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I Never Saw The Gospel In Action ~ Will Never Be A Valid Excuse.

Once the truth of the Gospel is heard, assuming it is correct and complete, it’s up to the receiver to accept or reject it.  When standing before God, one will never be able to say that they didn’t receive the truth of the message because the people who preaching it were hypocrites or because their lives were in direct opposition to what they proclaimed.  Nor will anyone ever be able to justify not receiving the truth of the Gospel message because it wasn’t accompanied by demonstrations of power or signs and wonders.  Ultimately, the rejection of the truth of the message of the gospel results in the rejection of the message giver who is Christ.  To reject the propositional nature of the gospel message is to reject the divine nature of the proposer.

 

A Few Questions:

1.  Is the above paragraph true?

2.  Can the actions or Christians lend credence to or detract from the message of the gospel?  If so, how? 

3.  Does it really matter how one feels about the gospel message? 

 
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The Hypocrite I’m Standing Next To Is Me.

Yes, I tend to judge others more severely than myself.  My reactions are less knee-jerk and more jerk.  My hypocrisy is not so easily swept aside by my rehearsed mantra, “I’m not perfect, and I have problems, sins, and short-comings just like everyone else.”  I’m much more apt to grant myself leniency than my neighbor whom I should love as myself.  Self inflation or flattering provides me with certain securities, motivations, and even rewards.  For in my pretense, at times, sometimes lies my power. When someone calls me on my hypocrisy, I flare up and lash out to defend and protect rather than receive faithful wounds of a friend.  So, call me on it.  Bring it into the light.  Then love me like a neighbor or even an enemy, like you love yourself.  Or maybe, just for the moment, the hypocrite I’m standing next to won’t be me.   

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