Comments on: The Harshest Words of Jesus May Not Be What You Think http://mnisly.com/the-harshest-words-of-jesus-may-not-be-what-you-think/ My Faith, My Family, and then there's Birding Fri, 25 Dec 2020 14:51:05 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.6 By: Merle http://mnisly.com/the-harshest-words-of-jesus-may-not-be-what-you-think/#comment-64 Fri, 25 Dec 2020 14:51:05 +0000 http://mnisly.com/?p=1590#comment-64 In reply to Lowell J Herschberger.

You are correct. In my mind, I applied this to numerous layers of life, but didn’t specifically mention all of them. Thanks for your comment.

]]> By: Lowell J Herschberger http://mnisly.com/the-harshest-words-of-jesus-may-not-be-what-you-think/#comment-63 Fri, 25 Dec 2020 00:23:43 +0000 http://mnisly.com/?p=1590#comment-63 Fascinating, this is generally the whole premise of my blog . I find that race adds an interesting layer to this issue.

]]> By: Merle http://mnisly.com/the-harshest-words-of-jesus-may-not-be-what-you-think/#comment-62 Fri, 20 Nov 2020 19:51:59 +0000 http://mnisly.com/?p=1590#comment-62 In reply to Jeremy.

Thanks, Jeremy for your reply. I realize that my stories don’t precisely illustrate most church experiences today. You are correct in that this post does not address the despair of leaders who are facing the anger and disunity of the church community. I wish I had tied it more closely to the conversations I’m currently having with people who are completely disillusioned with faith and the church because of the offenses against them from authority figures. I feel like you and I are looking at the same issues through a different set of conversations and experiences at the moment. Thanks again!

]]> By: Jeremy http://mnisly.com/the-harshest-words-of-jesus-may-not-be-what-you-think/#comment-61 Fri, 20 Nov 2020 19:32:08 +0000 http://mnisly.com/?p=1590#comment-61 This article raises a number of questions for me….not because I disagree but because I am trying to fit odd pieces together. Here are the pieces: most current churches do not have the discipline of the churches in your story. Also, contemporary leaders don’t have the kind of authority that leaders in your story had. A large segment of pastors I am familiar with are in despair with the response of their angry congregations to government, COVID, elections, and general witness to a secular society. It is as if pastors are experiencing an enormous gulf between the actions/behavior they desire to see in their congregation and those that are actually occurring. What I often observe are renegade churches with pastors who feel powerless to call us back to Jesus and His Kingdom. Anyway, maybe what I’m seeing is churches who’s fury and troubled testimony are pushing people away and pastors who are despairing with these churches. A recent study suggested 70% of pastors are actively looking for a different vocation. Anyway, thanks for prompting thinking…I’m simply wrestling through some of these realities right now.

]]> By: Janie Ediger http://mnisly.com/the-harshest-words-of-jesus-may-not-be-what-you-think/#comment-60 Fri, 20 Nov 2020 18:31:36 +0000 http://mnisly.com/?p=1590#comment-60 Great food for thought!

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