pain and shame

For the avoidance of any doubt, I am not speaking to the media through this post: nor is this a 'press release'.

Sorry. I have to cover myself now. Such are the depths to which things have sunk in big church.

But for a timely intervention in yesterday's debate, there might even have been a question of there being certain parts of the Bible on which we are not allowed to preach.

If I thought yesterday was about as bad as it could get with big church, though, I was wrong.

Today was worse.

We had the sight of a prominent minister entertaining the public galleries, and milking their guffaws for all he was worth, with the narrative of his pre-marital sexual activity with his wife.

Not with any shame. But with enthusiastic approbation.

Not with the intent of warning against the error in such a course. But rather to commend it.

Big church seemed to love it. Some of us wanted to leave.

Most folk laughed quite raucously. Some of us silently wept.

The picture that I had in my mind was of Jesus so cruelly nailed to the cross, securing for himself thereby a bride (not a partner) whom he would make pure and holy.

I felt his pain.