I went to New Life Church's website, and was very saddened to read the following words:
A New Page in the New Life Story
New Life Church is not a man or a building; we are a family, and our family is standing strong together through the difficult times we faced this week. In this service, Pastor Larry Stockstill of Bethany World Prayer Center and head of New Life's Board of Overseers announces the Board's decision to dismiss Pastor Ted Haggard as Senior Pastor of New Life Church, and shares letters from Ted and Gayle to the church family. Interim Senior Pastor Ross Parsley then brings a message of hope, encouraging us from the Word of God that the truth upon which New Life was built remains constant. We are sad, but we are hopeful and we are grateful. Our last chapter has not been written; in fact a new book is now beginning. The New Life Church family's best days are ahead.
I know that they had to do what they had to do, but I don't really see the sadness, sentiment, or sorrow from the church leadership in having to do such a difficult thing as to get rid of their main leader.
I have personally been through two church scandals, and it wasn't easy. The shiny, happy attitude displayed by many Christians when scandal hits, this attitude of "Praise God, saints; let's move on to possess the Land now that Moses is dead" reflects a shallowness of character. It is very sad to me that there was not more of an attitude shown of how deep the feeling runs.
You don't just jump up and run on. Now is the time for grieving and for reflection. There will be plenty of time for mad dashes to finish lines.
In one particular church scandal I went through, the adultery was announced, and this man Wayne was looking around at all the people shaking hands, declaring victory, and rejoicing after the service was over, and when he saw all of this, he said, "It's not over; it has just begun. It's not over."
How right you were, Wayne. And how true those words are. We have just begun to begin. God help New Life Church and Pastor Ted Haggard on this long journey of recovery and of rebuilding. The path will be winding, and the road long.
Who will be Jesus
To them
Who'll show the love
That restores them again?
They do not need a judge;
They need a friend;
Who will be Jesus
To them?
I wonder how many cases are out there of church leaders coming to repentance before being exposed.
He could have repented a long time ago back in August. We dont know. He just didnt confess is and broadcast it. He may have thought it was all over til the guy came forward.
Originally Posted by Questioning Christan
I know that they had to do what they had to do, but I don't really see the sadness, sentiment, or sorrow from the church leadership in having to do such a difficult thing as to get rid of their main leader.
They are being very professional like it seems. He was the FOUNDER and started with just a handful of people.
OK. Seriously. For everyone claiming that Ted Haggard was not repentant until he was exposed, I would ask you to publically air ALL OF your dirty laundry, right here, right now, and repent. Confession is good for the soul ya know....
Seriously. Who would benefit from that? All we'd have is a bunch of dirt on people. Whoopidido.
Ted Haggard said in his letter that he had been "warring" with a specific problem his entire adult life. "Warring against". Not gleefully indulging in.
Man. Pick up the stones and hurl them at will. All the while our own skeleton sits there in the closet, just waiting for the door to be flung open for the world to see....
Here we see Ted Haggard finding himself doing the thing that he knows he should not do (like Paul?) and not doing the thing he knows he should do. Crazy, ain't it? Just like the Bible says...
OK. Seriously. For everyone claiming that Ted Haggard was not repentant until he was exposed, I would ask you to publically air ALL OF your dirty laundry, right here, right now, and repent. Confession is good for the soul ya know....
Seriously. Who would benefit from that? All we'd have is a bunch of dirt on people. Whoopidido.
.......
If a person is doing good and right til one day they fall and happen to be in ministry at the time what do they do?
I dont see any other ministers or laymen broadcasting their sins after they repent
OK. Seriously. For everyone claiming that Ted Haggard was not repentant until he was exposed, I would ask you to publically air ALL OF your dirty laundry, right here, right now, and repent. Confession is good for the soul ya know....
Seriously. Who would benefit from that? All we'd have is a bunch of dirt on people. Whoopidido.
Ted Haggard said in his letter that he had been "warring" with a specific problem his entire adult life. "Warring against". Not gleefully indulging in.
Man. Pick up the stones and hurl them at will. All the while our own skeleton sits there in the closet, just waiting for the door to be flung open for the world to see....
Here we see Ted Haggard finding himself doing the thing that he knows he should not do (like Paul?) and not doing the thing he knows he should do. Crazy, ain't it? Just like the Bible says...
Some of my worst and most dirty laundry is on my blog, which can be found here
You can find some really juicy entrys in march, august, september, and october....... Feel free to dig at it as much as you like, as for confession, been there and talked with the people I needed to
The worst parts of my private life, are out there for anyone who choses to read. The brutal honesty in my blogging came about because I told someone something in confidence and they threatened black mail. So rather than let them have the power, I came clean, and took away any power they had over me and you know what, the load that came off, when i wrote the blog post, and talked with my boss, the consequences were no where as bad as I'd thought. As a result, now, it all goes into my blog, because I have no desire 15 years down the track for someone to say "hey did you know wizeone did this 18 years ago."
What I had to come clean with was in many ways as bad as what Mr Haggard has, and it absolutley terrieifed me making the blog post , however when done, tI knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I'd done the right thing, regardless of the consequences
I dont have alot of respect for Ted Haggard, and am willing to bet that had he come clean on this of his own volition, the consequences of his actions would have been alot less severe. That said, the man has come clean and now hopefully he can be supported and built back up again and one day be back in ministry
__________________
"Live a good life. If there are gods and they are just, then they will not care how devout you have been, but will welcome you based on the virtues you have lived by. If there are gods, but unjust, then you should not want to worship them. If there are no gods, then you will be gone, but will have lived a noble life that will live on in the memories of your loved ones. I am not afraid." - Marcus Aurelius
What we do in life echos in eternity
Last edited by wizeone; 7th November 2006 at 01:03 AM.
God is a God of love and mercy and longsuffering. However sometimes His people get into things and get too prideful and arrogant and God allows them to get caught so He can resore them. I would not want to be one to condemn or gossip bad about anyone of Gods children or ministers.
Some of my worst and most dirty laundry is on my blog, which can be found here
You can find some really juicy entrys in march, august, september, and october....... Feel free to dig at it as much as you like, as for confession, been there and talked with the people I needed to
The worst parts of my private life, are out there for anyone who choses to read. The brutal honesty in my blogging came about because I told someone something in confidence and they threatened black mail. So rather than let them have the power, I came clean, and took away any power they had over me and you know what, the load that came off, when i wrote the blog post, and talked with my boss, the consequences were no where as bad as I'd thought. As a result, now, it all goes into my blog, because I have no desire 15 years down the track for someone to say "hey did you know wizeone did this 18 years ago."
What I had to come clean with was in many ways as bad as what Mr Haggard has, and it absolutley terrieifed me making the blog post , however when done, tI knew beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I'd done the right thing, regardless of the consequences
I dont have alot of respect for Ted Haggard, and am willing to bet that had he come clean on this of his own volition, the consequences of his actions would have been alot less severe. That said, the man has come clean and now hopefully he can be supported and built back up again and one day be back in ministry
Well then, I salute you wizeone, for having the courage to come clean.
I personally don't know Ted Haggard. I'm simply going by the responses here, which seem to indicate that they believe that Ted Haggard has PERMANENTLY and IRREPARABLY disuqualfied himself from leadership EVER again.
And I just keep thinking about David, the "man after God's own heart" (Acts 13:22), who had a man KILLED so he could fulfill his lust and have Uriah's wife all for himself....
and I think to myself, something's not quite right here....
Right. And if he had "come clean," saying publicly that he struggled with homosexuality before he was caught, would people have been any more merciful?
Either way, he needed to step down...which he did. He needed to get help...which he is doing. The most important thing now is that he works on his struggles, his marriage, and his relationship with God - no matter how it came about!
Sometimes "coming clean" and confessing your struggles (especially sexual struggles!) in today's Christian church is not the best course of action. Without going into too much detail, let's just say that my husband and I have "been there, done that, got the T-shirt."
We've worked through them, gotten counseling, and emerged stronger and even more happily married than before - but it was no thanks to the leadership in the church where we decided to "confess," hoping for help - but getting the exact opposite.
We were young and naive. Ted Haggard has been in the ministry for years - he understands the minds of church people, and I honestly can't say I blame him for having kept his struggles under wraps.
Sad but true that this is what the Christian church has become in many cases...
Right. And if he had "come clean," saying publicly that he struggled with homosexuality before he was caught, would people have been any more merciful?
*****
Maybe not, but it would have been the right thing to do. We don’t confess/repent based on how merciful we think others will be, we do it because we have sinned and offended God and/or others.
~Jim
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