December 5, 2010

Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)

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A woman who hated me in a Christian kinda way because I would not rebuke a staff member who offended her silly sense of something said, "You're not listening to me."

I replied, "Oh, I'm listening quite well."

She persisted, "No, you're not listening to me."

I repeated and amended, "Oh, I'm listening quite well; but I'm not agreeing with you."

Listening and agreeing aren't always the same thing.

It's kind in a Christian kinda way to listen to whatever whomever is speaking to you about almost anything.

My late and favorite home pastor Harold Mante often reminded me, "Nobody's that strange. It's just that some people need a little more understanding."

Agreement has to do with confession and conviction.

Listening is usually the Christian thing to do.

Agreement is only the Christian thing to do when it corresponds to Jesus as attested in Holy Scripture.

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I like that video.

The song was written back in October 1962 by Noel Regney and Gloria Baker as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis; and has sold tens of millions of copies and been sung by hundreds of artists.

My favorite lyric: "He will bring us goodness and light."

Absolutely, if we listen and agree with Him.

Simply, if we love Him by loving like Him - the intended partnership - His goodness and light will come into church and maybe then into the world.

His goodness and light will be reflected in us.

That's a big part of what it means to be a Christian.

Duh.

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Of course, too many posers pollute the church like the babe mentioned in the first section; ergo, the world pays less and less and less attention to the church.

I'll never forget the really, really, really old elder (spirit not age) who often confused the will of God with her mirror's reflection.

After outlining a disagreement between two other elders that was bound to erupt at the next session meeting, she smiled, clapped her hands like a little kid who just got a Barbie doll for Christmas, and glowed, "Oh, goodie, I just love a good fight!"

"Really," I asked, "and where did you pick that up in Jesus?"

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About two years ago, I was mediating a dispute between a pastor and her/his church.

I got a call from a friend who knew the pastor and the church.

He said, "___ is just belligerent. She/he likes to fight. It's been that way in every church for her/him. Sooner or later, somebody disagrees with her/him, and..."

I could see that in her/him and I see that in...

Discernment confirmed by observation (concreted charisma).

It's true.

Some people like to fight.

Where did they pick that up in Jesus?

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If we're going to bring His goodness and light into our relationships, church, and world, we're going to have to be a lot more concerned with loving than being winning, getting over, getting our way no matter what/who/Who, and stuff like that.

Yes, we won't agree with everybody.

That's impossible because too many people don't want to love Jesus by loving like Jesus.

Church fights and the intensifying political polarization in America come to mind.

The Psalmist is sadly correct: "I am for peace, but they are for war!"

But we can/must listen.

It is the Christian thing to do.

Agreement?

We'll see.

If we can move from me, myself, and I to Him and His, yeah, I can see...

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Blessings and Love!

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