James Jackson, you are thinking about this from the wrong direction. Allow me to explain....
Firstly, let me say that I understand where you are coming from. Good men, honest, caring, intelligent men are being pushed out of the organization every day.
Those taking the "control" in the congregations are pompous, arrogant, inexperienced, and generally selfish in nature. They hurt people emotionally, sometimes physically. They take advantage of people to further their own interests, to gain power and glory... because that is what they think will bring happiness and satisfaction
I too have seen the 30-something, newly appointed elder, Mr. MyShi*DoesntStink, that badgers and berates those around him, whilst sticking his nose so far up the hind end of the COBE and the CO that no one seems to notice. Seen it. I see too Brother BeenAServantAtBethelandNowIKnowItAll. Has known nothing else, and is suddenly an elder with an attitude, and anyone else in the congregation just barely qualifies to be in his presence...Or the elderly brother, an elder who has never had family, and probably never been married, or at least divorced a long time ago, and is the expert in how to raise children and how to be a marriage mate in this difficult economy. Or the elders that just show up, warm a seat, and cant seem to give anyone the time of day, cause they have so much paperwork to do!
It's painful to watch, because we care for those who are being used up, those who are desirous of love, those who genuinely need to be shepherded, and cared for on a spiritual and emotional level. They are tired, like we were. It sickens me to see those who know the reality of where they are at.... herded, pushed, and guilted into a lifestyle they know deep down is not the way things should be, and deep down they know it is unhealthy for their hearts and minds.
Here's the difference between the masses, and the few.... they dont know what to do. They know nothing else, they are afraid of change, they can't take the wheel.
You see, at some point, it's the rare individual that just stops. Just stops and looks around. Stops and listens to the noise around his head. Only when he or she stops and listens can they truly hear what is going on. Until then, its all just a dull roar.
You see, my friend Mr James Jackson, you have stopped. You are hearing what noises make up the roar around you. You are learning to tune out the static and the screaming and the guilting and the attitudes.... and you feel like YOU are the one in the wrong. Amongst the noise, you heard a bird, you hear a waterfall, you hear the sunrise of a new day.
You are not wrong my friend. The congregations ARE letting go of highly qualified men. Because they are waking up. And when they wake up, they put themselves in a position to BE LET GO, whether its consciously or not, they put themselves in that positon. I know I did, and it sounds like you did too, as have many others.
The conflict you feel comes from the feeling that THEY SHOULDNT HAVE LET ME GO !!! I feel it too, every day.
I spent some time recently with a very good friend, currently serving as a COBE in another nearby congregation. One of the VERY few people I would ever confide my feeling to. Over a few beers, I laid it all out, from A to Z, from beginning to end. I waited anxiously for grand words of wisdom, for the spirit to move the conversation, to feel the hand of a spiritual father. His response was one that caught me completely off guard, and at the same time explained everything, and lent credibility to it all.
"Jack,I understand completely.... I just want to move far away, just me and the wife. Mexico maybe. The coast. I want to wear bermuda shorts, and fish in the ocean. Every day, every single day. And nothing else. I am sick and tired of all the politics, the backstabbing, the complaining, the drudgery of it all. We already have a plan in place, and will be there within 2-3 years, we haven't told anyone, but its where we will be....... wanna come visit?"
I was aghast, yet strangely vindicated. He was awake, he too could hear the sunrise of a new day.
James Jackson, do not look behind you. Look forward. Yep. They let you go. They shouldn't have. Doesnt make sense, dont try and make it make sense.
Too bad for them. Too bad for them......
Peace be with you and yours,
Jack Harper, Tech49
