Holy Week Monday - Den of Robbers

 Reflections on Holy Week text and Church Life 

(From Matthew 21:12-13)

And Jesus entered the Temple of God and drove out all who bought and sold in the Temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, 'It is written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer"; but you make it a den of robbers.'

I wonder what Jesus would make of our churches today if he were to walk in like he did the Temple?

Of course we would like to think he would be full of praise. Look at what we do to help the local community. We worship every Sunday at 11ish. We get on with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  And we spend as much time on discipleship and prayer as we do planning and doing fundraising and filling in paperwork.  If you found yourself thinking ‘aye right’ then I hear you.  

There is much we do that is wonderful and worthy of praise. But I wonder if we have lost sight of that over these past months. Over this past week I truly felt the grief and  anger I imagine Jesus felt. Listening to dear friends in other churches feeling bereft at the loss of trust or talking about war zones is beyond heartbreaking. I see colleagues hurting as their congregations flounder in the sea of mission planning. Others are reaching breaking point or behaving less than graciously and I even find myself wonder who is telling the truth anymore.
Sadly I found myself using the comment of the Assembly Trustees Convener at last year’s General Assembly saying that we have to look after the Golden Goose congregations.  You know the ones with money.  

Have we become a den of robbers more interested in money and protecting our empire? You might want to say I am being harsh. And perhaps you might be right.

But when two congregations can get a full time post because they have money yet a tiny parish, and another single congregation with a larger parish than the two put together but much less money because it is not a rich community can only get half a post you have to wonder. Let’s be honest money is the primary mover -not mission. And I’ll tell you what is suffering most right now – mission.  And only God knows if we will have enough thriving rather than surviving congregations left.  For sure the damage being done to relationships across churches will take some amount of healing. 

Previously I spearheaded a prayer campaign re mission planning sometime around the 2012 iteration. Throughout the month of May we at Moncreiff are going to have a focus on our prayers for the Church of Scotland especially in the run up to the General Assembly. Perhaps if prayer rather than money was at the heart of our decision making we wouldn't be so messed up. For when we pray we stop putting ourselves in control. Instead the wisdom of the Spirit guides and inspires. And with our eyes on God we see what he sees. Ordinary people gathering for worship, trying to live good lives and join God in his mission field.  And those in ministry wanting to be ministers not bureaucrats or money makers. 

Let’s pray!

Every blessing 

Sarah