PrintThere is one more consequence of disobedience that needs to be considered along with the previous three
4. Community Withdrawal.
Sooner or later, all the dynamics mentioned above will begin to impact our attitude and behaviour towards the community of faith to which we belong. We will begin to look for reasons to absent ourselves from worship this Sunday or the next. If we hold some kind of ministry or office in the Church, we may begin to flag that we will most likely not be standing for re-election. We will have some reasons (excuses?) that we will offer to others for this decision but they will sound hollow in our ears even as we offer them.
[NB: This is not to suggest that there are not valid reasons for being absent from Sunday worship from time to time or that standing down from a ministry position is always an expression or consequence of disobedience. Not at all. The issue is one of motivation.]
On the other hand, it is possible to maintain a posture of disobedience and still appear to be connected to the community of faith. But, although one remains physically present in the community of faith, there is no longer a sense of belonging.
The two sons in Jesus' parable that we call the 'Prodigal Son' are a case in point. The younger son made a choice and became estranged from his father. The older son stayed at home but he, too, was estranged from his father - a condition that became painfully obvious when he was invited in to enjoy the "Welcome Home" party for his brother.
Whether disobedience takes us away to a distant land or allows us to stay home but with a desperately negative attitude, our relationship with the community of faith will be impacted negatively.
Well, these reflections all began with memories of Edith and her journey from the disobedience of resentment and unforgiveness to the place of obedience as she forgave those who so wronged her those many years ago. I was privileged to walk with Edith through that journey and, although she never knew it, I learned so much from her, truths and insights that have been enormously helpful, confronting and encouraging me in my own journey.
