Monday, November 13, 2006
Is It Really About Restoration?
So much has been written in the wake of the Haggard scandal - so much. One of the more ineresting things I have seen is this Out of Ur post. Most interesting is that it starts with an extended quoatation from another pastor that "fell" and about his restoration process involved retreating to a "wilderness" without any preconceptions about a return to ministry - but then goes on to describe specific questions about when such a return would be appropriate. I find the idea of "restoration to ministry" a false concept, and it belies one of the greater problems we have with the church today.
We are all called to ministry, and as Christians we are all involved in ministry as we go through the day. The idea of being in and/or out of ministry is an institutional categorization only. WE ARE ALL MINSTERS - sometimes we are better ones than others. The whole conversation places way too much importance on the role of institutional and organizational leader, at the expense of gospel being spread from person-to-person, life-to-life. Haggard was a minister, he is a minister and he will always be a minister.
RIGHT NOW, RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE, TED HAGGARD HAS A MINISTRY! There is nothing for him to be restored to. Haggard's ministry now is to be the best example possible of a person in the process of redemption - of confession - of humility - of being broken and rebuilt by God Himself. My prayer for Ted Haggard is not that he would be restored to ministry, but that he would do this ministry, right now, better than it has ever been done before.
You see, people so anxious to "restore" Ted Haggard aren't so much interested in Haggard as they are in restoring public credibility to that church or to the National Association of Evangelicals.
It's not about "restoration" - it's about helping Ted Haggard find his way through a huge personal and public mess - that's all. And then it is about finding a way to repeat that process over-and-over, in life-after-life, one life at a time until all lives know the "peace of Christ that passes all understanding."
Restoration to ministry - pshah - let's just do ministry right.
Related Tags: ministry, restoration, repentance, Ted Haggard
We are all called to ministry, and as Christians we are all involved in ministry as we go through the day. The idea of being in and/or out of ministry is an institutional categorization only. WE ARE ALL MINSTERS - sometimes we are better ones than others. The whole conversation places way too much importance on the role of institutional and organizational leader, at the expense of gospel being spread from person-to-person, life-to-life. Haggard was a minister, he is a minister and he will always be a minister.
RIGHT NOW, RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE, TED HAGGARD HAS A MINISTRY! There is nothing for him to be restored to. Haggard's ministry now is to be the best example possible of a person in the process of redemption - of confession - of humility - of being broken and rebuilt by God Himself. My prayer for Ted Haggard is not that he would be restored to ministry, but that he would do this ministry, right now, better than it has ever been done before.
You see, people so anxious to "restore" Ted Haggard aren't so much interested in Haggard as they are in restoring public credibility to that church or to the National Association of Evangelicals.
John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.Why are we concerned about public credibility, especially at the cost of a broken man still discovering precisely how contrite he is? That is seeking peace, seeking restoration "as the world gives." We should be seeking Christ's peace, Christ's restoration!
It's not about "restoration" - it's about helping Ted Haggard find his way through a huge personal and public mess - that's all. And then it is about finding a way to repeat that process over-and-over, in life-after-life, one life at a time until all lives know the "peace of Christ that passes all understanding."
Restoration to ministry - pshah - let's just do ministry right.
Related Tags: ministry, restoration, repentance, Ted Haggard
