Sunday Sermon: The Hypocrisy of One Christian Fellowship

Today's sermon at Shiloh Community Church was about the importance of Christian fellowship. Fellowship is the time Christians spend together talking, socializing, worshiping, and praying. In the Southern Baptist tradition of which I am a product, fellowship is usually accompanied by food. We do love our potlucks.

The pastor, Joe, started out with a great analogy: each person is like a thread, which is easily broken. But add put them together, twist them around so they support one another, and soon you have a very strong rope that can be almost impossible to break. I really appreciated that imagery, because unlike the "weakest link" analogy of a chain where the group is only as strong as its least member, a Christian fellowship, like a rope, is stronger than even it's strongest individual. Each member, no matter how weak adds something to the whole. It may not be much, but it is something.

I find it unfortunate that after such an apt and uplifting beginning, Joe continued his sermon as though the fellowship were a chain, rather than a rope. As he listed the links in the chain that must be discarded, it became abundantly clear who is and who is not welcome in his church.

First on the block the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, of which my uncle is the State Coordinator for Arkansas. CBF churches cooperate in common missions goals and believe strongly in the traditional Baptist tenet of the "priesthood of the believer," but because they broke from the Southern Baptist Convention conservative faction staged a political coup, Joe has branded them liberal heretics. His words, not mine. Remove the link from the chain; unravel the strand from the rope.

Next up were the homosexuals. This began as a warning about the Episcopalian and Methodist churches who are dealing with recent decisions of ordaining gay clergymen, but quickly turned toward the individuals. The pastor made clear, in no uncertain terms, that "homosexuals who aren't ashamed" are not welcome to become members of Shiloh Community Church. One more link; one more strand.

This morning, I was told rather bluntly that I was unwelcome in the church where my family attends. I have long suspected this to be the case, but I have kept quiet and they have been friendly. Now with my suspicions confirmed, I'll take my leave without animosity (because I should have known better). Removing my link from the chain may strengthen their doctrine, but removing my strand from their rope will weaken their fellowship. For this I'm sorry, but my own spiritual growth requires an honest Christian fellowship in which I am welcome to fully participate.

Several times over the past few months I've sat through sermons at church that sparked a thought or elicited a response. Each time, I've thought what a great opportunity the occasion would be to start a "Sunday Sermons" series here at Mixed-Up Reasoning. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately depending on your point of view) I always seem to get distracted before I get it written down. Not today.