Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Not Good, Not Good At All
Out of Ur:
The answer to my shouted question is, it seems to me simple enough. Our actions do not match our words. This is a reflection of the fact that we both over promise when we preach and under-deliver in what the church is. In other words we are not serious about what we are doing. We do whatever it takes to keep the pews and/or the plates full, but in so doing we set aside our actual mission.
Further those that are making the attempt to do it right let those that do not steal the spotlight. I hate self-promotion. In fact,, would argue that it can be inherently unhumble, but we have to find a way.
We have to find a way for the message of Christianity to match its reality and we have to make sure the world sees that and not all the other stuff. Simple to understand, so hard to do.
reality trust truth
According to a new Gallup poll, most people trust their pharmacist more than their pastor. The survey rated the "honesty and ethical standards" of 22 different vocations. Nurses came out on top with 85 percent giving them "high/very high" marks on honesty and ethics. Pharmacists ranked at 75 percent.
What about clergy? Only 52 percent said they were highly honest. There is a silver lining--this latest number is 2 percent higher than a similar poll from 2009, which marked the lowest level of public trust in clergy in 32 years.
Other professions that ranked higher than pastors for honesty:
Nurses
Pharmacists
Medical Doctors
Engineers
Dentists
Police Officers
College Teachers
WHY?!
No seriously, and if that does not make you want to shout, what does?The answer to my shouted question is, it seems to me simple enough. Our actions do not match our words. This is a reflection of the fact that we both over promise when we preach and under-deliver in what the church is. In other words we are not serious about what we are doing. We do whatever it takes to keep the pews and/or the plates full, but in so doing we set aside our actual mission.
Further those that are making the attempt to do it right let those that do not steal the spotlight. I hate self-promotion. In fact,, would argue that it can be inherently unhumble, but we have to find a way.
We have to find a way for the message of Christianity to match its reality and we have to make sure the world sees that and not all the other stuff. Simple to understand, so hard to do.
reality trust truth
