THE GUEST ROOM

We were saddened this past week to learn of yet another prominent personality in the realm of faith related interests to have been charged with extensive financial irregularities.

Jesus had much to say to his disciples concerning values systems, materialistic quests, pursuit of greatness and other self-oriented aspirations: "He that will be chief among you, let him be your servant" (Matt. 20:27); "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth...for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matt. 6:21-24), etc. The reason for his so doing is simple:

Within the arena of spiritual endeavor, as with any other sphere of engagement involving prominence, leadership, recognition and prestige, it becomes easy to confuse the altruistic with the self-indulgent and self-serving. At such point, not only do the lines of demarcation become blurred, but in many instances the role of service itself tends to metamorphose into an agency for personal ambition and aggrandizement.

At the same time, recent studies regarding moral failure among the clergy offer disturbing insights into a matter of increasing concern. The problem, of course, is anything but new. Within this frame of reference, we recall our personal withdrawal some years ago from an evangelistic team scheduled for an interfaith crusade in a western Canadian city when it was discovered that the featured speaker was involved in an extramarital affair. These things hurt, both personally and in relation to the cause of Christ itself.

While obviously inclusive of such concerns, Christ's enjoined restraints were not limited to issues of moral and financial integrity. Other areas of address included not only our Lord's indictment of the religious leaders of his day for their relentless pursuit of human recognition, praise and acknowledgement (Matt. 6:2,5,26; 23:5; Mark 12:38-40, etc.) but the Twelve's increasingly related mindset of "Who's the greatest." Might it be that we have sometimes failed to grasp the full import of Christ's pronouncements in this regard? The answer is "yes."

Given such, we would briefly touch upon one further area of past experience. The fellowship in which I was born and reared traditionally sponsored monthly all day "fellowship meetings" - the congregations of each "section" meeting at its constituent churches on a rotating basis. Among the features of the highlighted evening service was a shared "word of greeting" from each of the attending pastors.

As a "revivalist" denomination, the anticipated "word" (typically a misnomer for reasons soon evident) would normally begin with a glowing report of "the great things God is doing in our midst" (i.e., the church of which the speaker was pastor). Not to be outdone, the second pastor's "word" would typically share the even greater things that God was doing in his congregation, etc. - until by the time the last pastor had shared his "word," one might well wonder as to how the region at large had avoided becoming caught up in an intense state of revival.

To my perception, then as now, the overriding problem at this point lay in the fact of ostensibly serving Christ and his cause while in reality seeking to advance one's own cause and recognition.

By way of contrast, one of the biblical accounts with which I have frequently been intrigued involves the man who surrendered his "large, furnished guest room" to Christ and his Diciples for their observance of Passover. To what degree the man grasped Christ's ministry and its meaning we do not know - nor, for that matter, are we apprised of his name. As seen in the fact that the Disciples apparently had no knowledge of the individual (thus Jesus' instructions of Mark 14 13-17 and Luke 22:11-13), previous contact, if at all, would appear to have been minimal. Yet in yielding the room which he would likely have used for his own family's observance of the celebration, he was, at least in terms of providing the physical facility, privileged to host the Son of God in one of history's most memorable events.

It is doubtful that this unnamed worthy attended the next "fellowship meeting" for the purpose of sharing the greatness of his recent role and involvement. Yet, while subsequently hearing nothing more of either himself or his involvement in our Lord's "Last Supper," the part that he played merited divine recognition in the form of a scriptural acknowledgement that has continued to relate his quality of spirit and positive response throughout the history of the Church.

Simply put: Whether in leadership or otherwise, is not God's approval, as opposed to self-focused recognition and desire for attention, that for which one is to seek? We would so suggest.

Burl Ratzsch

SACRAMENT...EMBLEMATIC ORDINANCE...RITUALISTIC ROUTINE?

As more than a few pastors will attest, a quandary sometimes attendant the ministration of "believer's baptism" or the Lord's Table involves a seeming absence of transformational grace.

Nor is such a solely contemporary phenomenon. John the Baptist, for example, frequently verbalized his conviction that not all baptismal candidates qualified (Matt. 3:7-10). Indeed, the fact that those seeking baptism under his ministry were expected to publicly confess their sins (vv. 5,6) may well have represented an endeavor to weed out the shallow and insincere.

Given such, self chosen baptism (i.e., as contrasted to the "covenantal" concept perceived by some in Acts 11:14; 17:31) can, in some instances, involve little more than one's becoming physically wet - validity at such point necessitating an accompanying or preceding (both concepts appearing in Scripture) work of grace. Hence the insightful, if somewhat artless, observation of a particular pastor that "there is little spiritual value in falling off the deck even if, in so doing, one is immersed."

Again, there were those at Corinth who, in celebrating the Lord's Supper, failed to "discern the Lord's body" - first of all, as represented in the elements of the observance (Matt. 26:26-28; I Cor. 10:16; 11:17-27, etc.) and secondly, by the sacrilegious behavior whereby they not only descrated such, but in so doing violated that organic structure repeatedly designated in the apostolic writings as Christ's "body" (Rom. 1:25; I Cor. 12:27; Eph. 1:22,23; Col. 1:24; etc.). Significantly, failure at this point had, on occasion, led to not only physical illness but even death itself (I Cor. 11:17-34). At this point the Corinthian believers were dealing with more than mere symbolism.

It is similarly to be noted that there are present day instances in which, concurrent to receiving of the Lord's Table, God presence has been notably evidenced. We recall an occasion in our own ministry in which, following the Communion service, a member of the congregation asked to share a word. Upon receiving Communion he had experienced a physical healing. While having heard of similar instances, I had not previously observed such nor, for that matter, have I since witnessed an occurrence of this nature. It did, however, drive home a point never since forgotten.

Could it be that both those of a sacramental (i.e., spiritual reality) understanding and those viewing baptism and Communion within an essentially emblematic (i.e., ordinance) frame of reference might here learn from one another? We would so suggest.

In either instance, we would yet aver the sanctity of the ceremony.

Burl Ratzsch