The Conspiracy

Mark 15:1-3 And as soon as it was morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and the scribes and the whole Council. And they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate. And Pilate asked him, Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, “You have said so.”

I sometimes marvel at the extent to which people will try to read more into an event than is really there. The role of the conspiracy theorists in our society is surely one of creating and perpetuating doubt. Whether it is the gunman on the grassy knoll that allegedly shot President Kennedy, or the involvement of the US government in 9/11, they each have their dedicated following. Be discerning in what you read and believe.

Transparency in government is a hot topic of late. Whether it is at the local, state, or federal levels makes no difference. Those being governed want to see all the inner workings of the activities surrounding how they are being governed. Leadership in a church has an interesting conundrum. Being as open as you possibly can is an expectation of the congregation. There are some matters where privacy is also required. But clearly, the situations where privacy reigns over openness are to be few and far between. There is a process called out in Matthew 18:15-20 for handling church discipline. It is never a pleasant task. No one wants to see a fellow believer who is lost in sin take a course that leads to separation. But there are times when it becomes a necessity. The purpose of fellowship among believers is to strengthen and reinforce faith in times of good and bad. And the purpose of disfellowshipping (excommunicating) a member in a church is to encourage the sinner to return to the fold. There must be a clear message delivered (with love) in the process that continuing in sin is unacceptable and in order to be in fellowship the sinner must change, or be forever separated. The guidance given in Matthew 15 is clear. At some point the whole congregation is involved, not just the leadership as was the case with Jesus. Leaders who may be tempted by ego to forego congregational involvement do so not only their own peril, but at the peril of failing to serve God and those they are chosen to lead. Humility is the key to leadership within a church. That same humility, shown by our Savior Jesus Christ when he washed the feet of the disciples. Praying for the leadership of your church is very important. The leaders are frail humans just like you and I. And they are subject to the same temptations as you and I. Praying for wisdom, discernment, insight, and protection from the temptation of pride for church leaders should be what we all do today and every day.

PRAYER: Thanks be to God, that we have been given an example of how to lead in humility. Lest we stumble we need only to fix our eyes on Jesus to see how it should be done. In Jesus’ name we thank You Father for Your love and leadership in our lives. Amen