I was at an event at Grace Cathedral
not long ago, and there was someone who was talking about the current
situation and future of the church. The person was showing a
PowerPoint thing, and in one of them was the statement above. I
thought about it for a quick second and realized that the statement
was so true.
As I look around, not only at the
Episcopal church, but at other denominations and religions, I am
amazed at how many of them seem to get the words confused, and it
also seems that not many of them talk about modern day Prophets and
how one should aim at becoming one. Yes it is important that
religious organizations need money in order to help spread the Good
News, but has the goal of money really taken over religion? Think
about it.
I will admit that I am one who has
been really concerned about the number of people in the seat of the
pews, but after reading that statement and thinking about it, it made
me realize even more how important the work that Deacons do, and the
importance of places like Sacred Space are to the world. Deacons do
something that many of us don't do, and that is they go out into the
world and bringing Christ to the people that are not only the down
trodden, but are also with many material things. Deacons and others
are also doing such things as Sacred Space & Open Cathedral not
only in Oakland and San Francisco, but in many other cities around
the world.
Yes it takes money to keep the
churches open and the offices of churches & dioceses running, but
it seems as though some have forgotten to put the Holy Trinity at the
center of everything. I see a number of churches that have concerts
and other things, but rarely do I see them doing any of these events
for free.
We seem to of forgotten that the Holy
Trinity does not work only through the clergy, but through each and
every one of us. Just because one has been ordained a Priest, Deacon
or Bishop does not make one more special to the Holy Trinity than the
homeless drug addict that we see. If that homeless person is out
proclaiming the Good News to people along with acting in a Christian
way towards ALL that belongs to the Holy Trinity, does that make them
less in the eyes of the Holy Trinity compared the the Clergy person
who is treating their congregation in a wrong way and not really
getting them to live in Christ?
To me, the true Prophets of the world
come in ALL shapes, sizes, colors and backgrounds. At times people
will wonder why I will spend time talking with kids, and not chatting
with them in a “downward” way. What kids have to say about
different things are incredible. By listening to the things that they
have to say you will learn and here things that will really make you
think.
But at times it seems as though the
people of the church and Christianity are not willing to Listen to
not only the words of the children, but the words of each other
unless it is going to be something that the person wants to hear and
already know that they will want to agree with. I often sit in
meetings and notice how etiquette seems to of gone away. I'm not
talking about hard things, but the simple thing of raising ones hand
in order to speak. People seem to feel that it is more important to
speak and say what they have to say before giving those who haven't
spoken, but have risen their hand, a chance to speak. If these people
would simply give others a chance to speak, they might even get the
chance to hear a prophet speak. Having degrees and knowledge doesn't
make one a Prophet, it mainly means that you have a piece of paper
that says that you studied a field and have some knowledge about it,
but in truth that doesn't make one a Prophet, but someone with
knowledge.
Churches seem to worry about money all
of the time, which in other words can be they seem to worry much
about the Profits, and they seem to forget that the most important
thing is the Prophet. Sometimes I wonder if Money is their real God?
Hopefully some of them will stop worrying about the Profits and
concentrate more on the Prophets, as I think that the Profits they
need to run will then truly come in.
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